Once a criminal Always a criminal - Sequel to A conman's predicament
by Annn99
Summary: Sequel to "A conman's predicament" - Please read that before or else, it won't make much sense since this is an alternate universe for Season 5 finale, in which Neal didn't get kidnapped, Sara came back for 'business', Peter's still going to DC and Rebecca had an accomplice for it all...
1. Chapter 1

This follows my previous story "A conman's predicament", please read that before or else, it won't make much sense since this is an alternate universe for Season 5 finale, in which Neal didn't get kidnapped, Sara came back for 'business', Peter's still going to DC and Rebecca had an accomplice for it all...

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**Chapter 1**

"Hey Peter, I got a farewell present for you" said Neal entering Peter's office with a box

It had been a week since they came back from DC after arresting Rebecca Lowe. Peter was deep in concentration packing some stuff from his desk drawers, getting ready to move to a bigger chair and a different life away from NY for the first time since he attended Quantico. He took a minute to look up with a little smile "Neal, I'm leaving in two weeks, you don't have to…"

"But I want to, Peter" the reformed conman insisted with a grin

Peter frowned "I know that look… Neal, what did you do?"

Neal sighed "From one friend to another, Peter, you shouldn't doubt and question every single thing I do once I'm off anklet, you know?"

Peter sighed "You're right. Force of habit… thanks, Neal, you didn't have to though"

"I know. Here…" said Neal, handing the box to the older man

Peter took it and sat at the corner of the desk. He tore it open unwrapping the silky paper "Neal, this is… wow"

"I figured, you would be going crazy not having Yankee Stadium close by, so I'm giving you a little piece of it for you to take" said Neal shrugging

Peter was in awe. It was a Yankee's jersey signed by Babe Ruth, Derek Jeter, Mickey Mantle, Joe Dimaggio and Lou Gherig "Neal, how did you…?"

"Well, I bought the jersey and forged the signatures. And before you start complaining, it is not illegal if I don't make profit, so I figured you being the hardcore Yankees fan you are, you would appreciate having it" said Neal proud of his idea. He took a step closer and pointed to the bottom of the jersey "And besides… just so you won't forget the MVP in your New York team…" he said with a sheepish smile

Peter took a closer look and saw Neal's signature tucked in the corner… he couldn't help but smile touched at the meaning behind it all

"Every artist has to sign his work, right?" said Neal smiling sheepishly

"A Caffrey original huh?" said Peter smiling and looking at the perfect signatures there "Neal, this is…" Peter didn't have words and actually, his throat felt a little constricted "Thank you" he said extending his hand in gratitude

Neal grinned and took Peter's hand with a firm grip "You're welcome, Peter"

"Oh what the hell, come here" said Peter pulling Neal in for a tight hug "You arrogant bastard. Don't let Jones hear you saying you're MVP"

Neal laughed "I'll keep the secret between us"

They pulled apart and Neal couldn't help but glance quickly at the bullpen to see if anyone had seen their public display of affection. Peter noticed and snorted "Don't bother, they all saw me hugging you and will keep their mouths shut if they wanna keep their jobs"

Neal chuckled and shoved his hands in his pockets feeling a little embarrassed

"Besides, they all think you're some sort of surrogate son of mine so they're probably not surprised" said Peter nonchalantly

Neal frowned "Surrogate son?"

"Yeah…" Peter realized he was stepping into delicate territory "Sorry, Neal, I didn't mean to step into this touchy subject for you…"

"No, it's ok Peter. I wish my father was a little like you…" said Neal with a hint of bitterness

Peter sighed and then pursed his lips. He hated seeing Neal this vulnerable due to his daddy-issues "Neal, I never got to thank you for what you did for me… even though it was illegal, I can only imagine what it must have been like to incriminate your own father to get me out of prison" he said and took a deep breath "Truth is, you've made my life a lot more exciting and… better altogether" he finished with an honest little smile

Neal looked up with surprise written all over his face. Even when Peter had somehow forgiven him for getting him out of jail with illegal methods, Neal knew this was still a delicate matter for him and it actually opened up some old wounds. Neal took the opportunity to throw at him what he had heard through the earbud… "I thought having me was the worst thing that ever happened to you? You even told Jones to not dare become my handler, that he would regret it for the rest of his life" – it wasn't supposed to come out like that but even when it was rare for Neal to get carried away with emotion, in fact, it never happened, he just didn't care and this was Peter, the man who pretty much had seen him through it all

"I know, I was an asshole and I was just really angry at what you did" said Peter looking sympathetically at Neal and then frowned "Wait… how do you know what I told Jones?"

Neal just shrugged…

Peter dismissed it knowing it wasn't the core issue here. He continued "Anyway, what matters is that you did this for me even at your father's expense. So, thank you, buddy"

Neal was, in a way, grateful for Peter dismissing his emotional outburst, he wasn't in the mood to confront this rejection feelings he had so he followed the lead and shoved it under the rug "Don't worry. Like in chess, you need to sacrifice your knights to save the king sometimes" he said attempting at lightening the mood

"Oh? You think I'm a king?" asked Peter with mischief

"Don't…" said Neal disgusted

Peter laughed "Seriously though, having a son like you…" he whistled in mock-suffering and then got serious, puffed his chest out and added with a sincere and a smile full of pride "James' loss. My win"

Neal gave him a little smile and nodded understanding the hidden meaning in Peter's words and not being able to say anything back. How did this become so emotional was beyond him, it was just a damn Yankees jersey. He cleared his throat "That means you're gonna play catch with me, old man?"

Peter snorted "Hey! There's nothing old about these bones and yes, I would love to. Tell you what, I'll make a new deal with you" he said with mischief "every time you come to visit in DC, we'll play catch and go to a game or something and instead of an anklet to remind you of that deal, I'll give you this" he said opening his bottom drawer and pulling out his baseball. He put it in Neal's hand with a proud smile

"Are you sure? This is your throw-and-catch-while-I-think-of-how-to-catch-the-bad-guy ball. Aren't you gonna need it in DC to cook some theories?" questioned Neal feeling touched at his gesture

"Nah, it's all gonna be desk job for me now, so I won't need it. You can keep it" said Peter squeezing Neal's shoulder with affection

"Thank you… just don't hug me again" teased Neal grinning

"Oh shut up, it's entirely your fault for making me miss you even before I'm gone" said Peter grinning as well

Neal actually blushed with that. Peter wanted to keep the joke alive but it came truer than he intended. Neal looked up embarrassed "I'll miss you too, Peter"

Peter just nodded "Alright, get the hell out of here before I start kissing you" he said in mock exasperation

Neal laughed and put his hands up in defense walking backwards slowly "I'm going actually, I have an appointment with my lawyer"

Peter nodded chuckling "Alright, keep me posted on how that goes" and dismissed him with his hand

Once Neal had left his office, Peter's phone rang "This is Burke"

"Hi Peter" came the shy voice on the other end

"Sara?" he asked recognizing the voice

"Yeah… is this a bad time?" she asked unsure

"No, of course not, how are you holding up?" asked Peter gently and smacked his head for not checking up on her sooner; she must be pretty shaken after the Rebecca ordeal. Neal had been very hermetic about everything, Peter knew they had spoken but Neal didn't wanna comment on it and Peter respected his private life, he had learned his lesson well.

"I'm fine…" she said and Peter didn't believe one single letter of it but he let her continue "I, um, I need to talk to you"

"Of course, Sara. Let me just close the door here and…" he started but was cut off

"No, in person I mean. Can you talk this afternoon?" she said and then added "I'm in New York"

Peter raised his eyebrows in surprise "Oh? I thought you had gone straight back to London after, well, after everything"

"No, I promised Neal we would talk… he didn't tell you?" she said incredulous

"No, he didn't" stated Peter not knowing what else to say "But, um, sure we can talk. Tell me a place and time"

"Warwick Hotel, six pm?" she suggested

"I'll be there" answered Peter and then added "Sara, is everything alright?"

Peter heard her sigh and then "No, it's Neal…"

"What's wrong with him?" asked Peter fearing the worst

"I better tell you in person. See you later, Peter, thank you and please don't tell him I'm here… I need to talk to you first" she said with determination

TBC

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Should I keep going? :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Peter walked in the luxurious Warwick hotel where the Beatles had stayed their first time around in NY – he knew that because Elle of course. Sara sure knew how to live up in style. He looked for the hotel's bar and saw her there sitting on a stool drinking what could only be a glass of scotch

"Not a soft drink I see" he said and took a seat next to her with a gentle smile

Sara smiled briefly "I needed something a little stronger" she said sighing "Thank you for coming"

"Not a problem. How are you holding up?" he asked with a concerned look

"I'm fine. Being kidnapped by psycho ex-girlfriends of my ex-boyfriends is an everyday thing for me" she said not even trying to hide her sarcasm

Peter chuckled and motioned the bartender over "Bottled Heinsler please"

"How did Neal not see this coming? He's supposed to be the expert conman!" she protested going straight to the point

Peter just shrugged "Love's the biggest con of all…" he started and realized the words that had escaped his mouth the minute he felt Sara slightly holding her breath and saw gripping tightly her glass "I mean, not exactly love but you know what loneliness can be like and…" damn, he was on a roll just digging even deeper and went silent closing his eyes "I'm sorry, Sara, I didn't mean to…"

Sara lifted her hand "It's ok… I do know how love can leave you blindsided and I certainly know what loneliness can be like" she said bitterly "I just… I saw the hurt in Neal's eyes and that woman just seemed to enjoy it, you know? I wanted to kick her ass so bad, I mean, I imagine there's some unspoken code for cons, where no conning with love tricks is allowed?!" she said breathing a little harder getting emotional

Peter just nodded and felt admiration for Sara; she must really care for Neal if she is worrying more about how much Rebecca hurt him than the fact that she almost killed her "If it's any comfort, divine justice was made"

"How so?" she asked

"Well, I think Rebecca played with fire and got burned herself…" he said and took a sip of his beer. Sara frowned in confusion so Peter continued "She fell for her own con… she fell in love with Neal for real"

Sara pulled back and relaxed her shoulders visibly. She looked deeply at her own glass "I could tell…" she said softly

Peter leaned forward to try to listen better "Did she tell you anything?"

"Well, she mostly tried to trash-talk me, intimidate me and to get me worked up but two bitches can play this game and I could read in between lines that she really cared for Neal in her own twisted way" said Sara not making eye contact with Peter

Peter couldn't help to chuckle at Sara's choosing of words and just nodded tapping his fingers in the beer bottle "Yeah, I guess we all have funny ways of showing we care"

Sara didn't look up, she was afraid of breaking in front of Peter, she just sat there gripping her glass for dear life

"Sara…" tried Peter gently placing a hand on her back

She breathed deeply "I care about Neal, a lot…" she said quietly

"I know" said Peter continuing to rub her back

"But I left" she said through gritted teeth "And he was just trying to be happy"

Peter was a little lost. One thing was to be mature enough to see the hurt in Neal's eyes and another was to be absolutely compassionate about everything and not even remotely jealous or upset. Women are too complicated, Peter was grateful that Elizabeth was one of the less complicated ones. He was at a loss for words so he just tried to stall with a neutral motivational speech "We all follow different paths in life chasing happiness and…"

"I wasn't chasing happiness, Peter, I ran out of fear of getting hurt again" she said with a broken voice

Peter froze. He wasn't expecting Sara to be so open with him; sure they were close and went way back but he was never her Dr Phil or anything like that. He decided it was better to remain silent and let her continue whenever she felt ready

"The truth is, I'm still afraid, even more so now… Neal is still Neal and he is now even looking for his freedom legally, but he shot her in cold blood and with a sniper's accuracy so I wonder what stops him from killing people now? And maybe he already killed someone that we don't know about? And he had already moved on and he was in love and I just feel so confused now…" she was rambling now on the verge of tears

Peter did the only thing he had learned that could work when Elle got this worked up about something. He reached for her and took her in his arms and they remained quiet for a while until Sara's breathing returned to normal. Fortunately for Peter, no tears came out, thank God Sara was a very tough cookie otherwise he would just call 911 or something

After a few seconds, Sara pulled back and sniffed a little "Sorry for this outburst, Peter… it's not that day of the month, promise, I just really needed to talk about this with someone"

"It's ok, Sara. I'm glad to help" he said not knowing what else to say, really

"Do you trust Neal?" she asked now looking directly into Peter's eyes

"Well I…" he stuttered

"Yes or no?" she pushed

He sighed "Yes"

"Do you think he has killed people before?" she asked in a whisper

"God no!" said Peter very convinced

Sara nodded "I didn't think so either… And do you think he could become a…" she gulped "killer?"

"No, Sara. The gun that Neal was carrying was mine, I gave it to him" he said and smiled briefly "I've shot people too, you know?" he said unbuttoning his jacket "And killed a couple" he added with an almost cocky smile

Sara gave him a look of slight surprise "But you're and FBI agent" she justified

"Sure, I got trained to protect people even if it meant killing the bad guys" he said slowly and then added with a voice that held a lot of sympathy "Just like Neal did to protect you"

Sara hadn't considered this angle. Peter was right and she felt like a huge weight was lifted from her shoulders "Yeah, I guess" she said looking at her hands

"Look, Sara, Neal didn't get trained at Quantico but he's got a good heart and one thing I'm sure of, is that he would never become a killer" said Peter smiling gently "There's no reason to be afraid of him"

Sara nodded really believing Peter and took a deep breath feeling a lot more relieved "Thanks" she said quietly

"Now, about him moving on with someone else, that's something you should talk with him" Peter raised an eyebrow and with a little mischief he added "I'm only monitoring his physical location, not the place where his heart's at"

Sara chuckled "I know…"

"All I can tell you is that, surprisingly even for me, Neal had been very lonely since you left, until Rebecca showed up so you can imagine what her presence meant to him" he said shaking his head in disbelief "I mean, she studied Neal's past girlfriends to make sure Neal would fall for her as part of the con"

Sara shuddered at the twistedness of it all "Crazy bitch" she muttered

Peter snorted "The badass attitude came from you I guess" he said making Sara laugh

Sara sighed and drank the rest of her glass in one gulp "Neal managed to soften me quite a bit"

It was Peter's turn to laugh "He has softened us all I guess…" he took a good look at Sara and saw the tiredness in her eyes "So, are you gonna talk to him?"

Sara looked up "Yeah… but first, there's something I need to tell you"

Peter straightened his shoulders "What is it?"

She took a deep breath and went all business-like "A couple of days ago I received a call from Boston's FBI SAC Dean Bryant, about a recovered Rembrandt that was stolen from the Boston museum in 1990 and insured by Sterling Bosch by 500 million" she started

"500 million?! Wait, you don't mean 'The Storm on the Sea of Galilee', do you? Only that could be worth it so much for the insurance" suggested Peter

"The same. It is considered the most expensive heist of the last couple of decades. Several paintings were taken with an estimated value of 300 million and none of them have been recovered until now…" she said and looked down

"Ok, that's a good thing but I'm guessing there's more to that story…" Peter stated

Sara nodded "It turns out, the FBI has reported the painting to the DC office, since this is a high profile one, but apparently the art experts say it is a forgery" she said now looking at Peter, really looking at him

Peter frowned and thought for a moment "Who provided this opinion in DC?"

"Take a guess" she deadpanned

Peter puffed air through his nostrils "Kramer"

"Yes but that's not the worst part. His professional opinion written in the official report says, and I quote: Forgeries as good as this one, I have only seen once before in NY with a Degas painting" she said enhancing the last two words

Peter's blood ran cold and he started breathing hard

"Neal told me everything he went through to cover the treasure and I know he forged that Degas so you wouldn't find out" she said whispering to avoid being heard

"He told you that?" asked Peter surprised at how much Neal had trusted in Sara

"Yeah, one of those nights where we had a little quid-pro-quo… anyway, did he ever tell you anything about a Rembrandt? Was he ever a suspect in this heist?" she asked

"No, he didn't do it" stated Peter with determination

"How can you be sure?" Sara asked

"I had a little quid-pro-quo late night with him as well and he confessed a lot of things and never mentioned anything about it" said Peter trying to think hard into everything that might connect Neal to this heist "But anyway, there is no way they can connect this to him, not even as a remote lead"

Sara took a deep breath "The forgery was found in St Louis… that's where Neal lived before he came to New York and according to the report, the painting is 15 to 20 years old"

Peter grunted "Oh God… but wait, if Neal did it, he would've been only 17 or 18! How can it be?"

"I don't know, he was a talented kid I guess?" Sara suggested shrugging her shoulders "But whatever it is, dates and places match so we need to find more about this before the FBI does" she finished putting a strand of hair behind her ear

"I can pull up the file and see what they got. If it was already reported to the insurance company, it means non-disclosure is off the table so it won't raise any flags" said Peter

"Good. I've already requested permission to handle this case personally here in NY so I will have control of everything that goes on" offered Sara

"But what about London?" asked Peter

"London can wait" she answered with a smile

Peter returned the smile understanding the hidden meaning behind it all "Alright, so I'm gonna go back to the office now"

Sara nodded "you do that, yeah" she said and sat there fidgeting with a napkin

Peter stood and paid for both their drinks. He looked at her fidgeting and nervous posture; Sara didn't fidget unless it was for a good reason "Want me to give you a ride somewhere?" he asked with a smirk

Sara laughed nervously "Is it that obvious?"

"C'mon, let's go. Riverside drive it is" said Peter holding her hand and helping her step back from the stool

TBC

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**I love the relationship between Sara and Peter but somehow I had never took a chance in writing about it; it is very complex! I hope the way I did it, let me know!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"This is it, good luck" said Peter with a little smirk stopping the car right in front of June's mansion

Sara gripped her purse tightly "Um, thanks. Maybe he isn't home?" she asked nonchalantly

Peter gave her the questioning eyebrow accompanied by the are-you-kidding-me smirk "Want me to check his anklet?"

Sara laughed nervously "Right. I'll just go in"

"This is kind of adorable, this puppy love you two have going on here" said Peter barely containing his laughter

"Oh shut up, Peter, it's not that, it's just I don't know where we stand with each other and after everything that's been going on I just… " she tried to be rational about the whole thing but she knew that Neal Caffrey, conman extraordinaire, had owned her heart from a long time now

Peter stopped pestering her and put on a sympathy smile "Sara, remember when I told you to stop working so hard and to live a little?"

"Yeah…? And I didn't listen, so?" she asked not really knowing where this was leading

Peter chuckled "Well, now I'm gonna tell you to stop thinking so hard and start living a little. You don't have to commit to anything, just talk. He's Neal, he's no stranger and these past days have been difficult for both of you… just, be friends with each other. Take one thing at a time" said Peter shrugging and making it sound so easy

Sara grunted "God, you're so damn right" she straightened her shoulders "Fine, I'll just go in"

Peter nodded smiling "Good. Let's talk tomorrow ok? Follow-up on the Rembrandt"

"Yes. Say hi to Elizabeth" said Sara stepping out of the car

"You can say hi to her yourself tomorrow over dinner. I'll tell Neal tomorrow so he can set it up" stated Peter and before getting any complaints from Sara he changed gears into Drive and waved happily at her "Good luck, Juliet!"

Neal was exhausted with so much boring legal stuff his lawyer had thrown at him and he was in desperate need of a distraction. Art was always a good getaway so he was currently in deep concentration trying to create his own artistic style and painting what he could only describe as "Monet meets Van Gogh in one very special drunken night, high on a lot of Kandinskian Pollock" he said out loud chuckling at himself

"Talking to yourself, Caffrey?" came the familiar voice startling him and making him drop his brush

"Sara…" he said surprised "Hi…" he grinned standing up "I was just um…"

"Going crazy?" she teased

"Oh well, you know how it is with us artists…" he joked "But now that you're here, it can be folie à deux" he added with the most charming of smiles

"What's up with you and French terms?" she said smiling and referring to the amis-amants thing. She gave a couple of careful steps into the apartment

He just shrugged flirtatiously "French has a word for everything" he repeated looking at her from head to toe, she was looking beautiful, even more so than he remembered

"I'd love to join you in your folie, but I'm afraid you're the crazy one, not me" she said closing the door behind her

"Oh but folie à deux is not only a psychological disorder, surprisingly enough, in French it actually means a shared passion and I do believe we share a lot of… passions" he said emphasizing the last word, loading it with innuendo

Sara chuckled and shook her head "You're always so full of surprises"

"So are you… best surprise you showing up tonight" he said with a sweet smile "Thank you" he added in a softer voice, a more serious and vulnerable tone

Sara nodded "I told you I would come"

"And you always keep your promises. Want some wine?" he offered smiling

"Sure…" she said feeling her stomach do a summersault at the whole scenario. She was in his apartment again, about to drink wine with him, he was looking gorgeous and sexy dressed in khaki pants and a white tank top with his messy hair and little dots of paint splattered along his hands and arms and one single dot of blue on the right side of his jaw.

Neal went to get the wine and the glasses "Wait till you taste this wine, I got it from a friend who…" he started but stopped when he saw Sara hadn't moved from the spot she was before, barely two steps in front of the door "You ok?"

She felt like an idiot standing there but somehow she just couldn't move. She felt too intimidated and kinda suffocated with Neal's presence, the sights, the smells, the memories… they all came back to her in an overwhelming spiral of emotions. She had left and she had allowed another woman to crawl into Neal's life, a psycho nonetheless, but still, a woman who also crawled into Neal's heart. She flinched at the thought remembering Peter's words - Love is the biggest con of all-. She came back to reality when she felt Neal's hand on her forearm gently squeezing and asking if she was ok. Of course she wasn't ok but she had to get herself under control and in a more comfortable playful zone "Yeah… you've been working out?" she asked looking at his bare biceps which looked bigger than she remembered and regretting it instantly. Very smart, Sara, give him ammunition to just weasel himself into your pants, she scolded herself mentally. As if he needed encouragement…

Neal smirked "I have, yes. Being single is a surprisingly good motivator for work-out"

"Hmmm… too bad you didn't stay single for too long" muttered Sara, finally feeling comfortably upset. Being mad or having something to attack him with felt a lot better than feeling all mushy and smitten with him. She took the glass from his hand and walked to sit on the couch

Neal was stomped silent. He joined her in the couch "About that, I'm sorry…"

"Yeah, you already said that, Neal. But you didn't kidnap me" she deadpanned bitterly and took a sip of her wine "Oh this is good"

"It's French" he said

"Ah, French's got it all, huh?" she said adjusting herself in the couch

Neal stared at her "Sara, I think the real reason why I keep apologizing is also because you didn't have to witness all that…"

"You mean I didn't have to witness my ex-boyfriend playing some Fatal Attraction seduction game while being tied-up?" she said with a lot of poison in her voice. Boy, was she mad. Apparently she was jealous after all and it was all coming out now. Good, she preferred mad than afraid

"Sara, stop" he said raising his voice, yet keeping a scary low key "Just stop ok? I know you're mad but enough with the sarcasm. We have to talk about this, openly and honestly. At least I need to…" he added in a more quiet voice

Sara had never seen Neal like this. It was a little frightening yet… hot. She remained quiet and just nodded

"I promised there wouldn't be any secrets among us so here it goes…" he started and took a deep breath "Rebecca, Rachel… she took me by surprise. She just appeared as this innocent girl next door who got amazed at everything I did or said. She looked-up at me and cared about me without seeing the criminal in me. Of course I was lying to her making her believe I was an FBI agent but then when she found out I was a criminal she didn't judge me and it was as if another layer peeled and the innocent girl became this passionate intelligent woman who was witty and curious about the excitement of a conman's life… I just, I was so mesmerized by all this and for the first time since you left, I didn't feel like an outsider in my own skin… I felt like I could belong somewhere… with someone" he sighed "Of course, I then discovered she had been lying all along and the innocence, the beauty of it all had been part of the con… the conman ultimately became the target…" he chuckled "karma I guess" he said shrugging

Sara didn't realize a single tear had rolled down her cheek. Maybe it was because her eyes hadn't blinked since Neal started talking and they needed moisturizing. It could also be the fact that her heart had broken into million pieces for this man

Neal looked at her and wiped the tear with his thumb giving her a sad smile "This bastard got a dose of his own medicine, huh?"

"Neal…" she sniffed shaking her head in disbelief "Only I can call you bastard" she said making Neal chuckle and then added "You didn't deserve this"

Neal looked down focusing on his glass to keep under control when he felt Sara's cold finger reaching out to touch his jaw and scrubbing

"You got paint here…" she said and dipped her finger again in her glass "Alcohol" she explained "A natural solvent for oil painting, right?"

He nodded and gave her a small smile

"There, you're all cleaned up now" she said wiping the remaining moisture with her thumb

"Thanks" he said smiling shyly at the gentle gesture

"How did she manage to fool everyone?" Sara asked breaking their little moment "I mean, not only you, but from what I understand she also fooled Peter, the whole FBI and even Mozzie!"

"She had been gathering intel on everyone for a long time and with Keller masterminding everything, it doesn't surprise me that she got so thorough, he must've warned her to be careful on the details and she did a really good job at it…" he said the last part bitterly

Sara remembered what Peter said "I see… she even made sure you got seduced to the bone by studying your girlfriends"

Neal frowned at her

"Peter told me" she answered his unspoken question and then another "We've talked…"

"You and Peter get along very well, don't you?" said Neal trying to divert from the topic of studying the ex-girlfriends which was the creepiest and most invasive part of it all

"Yeah… he thinks he's my shrink sometimes but at others, I just really appreciate him being a role model and good friend" she said truthfully "But, don't change the subject. You were saying she studied your ex-girlfriends…"

"She had files on all of the… official ones" Neal said carefully

"Oh?" Sara asked truthfully intrigued

Neal sighed "Like I said, every time we met I discovered another layer and with every layer, the picture became more and more perfect. At the beginning she had the innocence of Kate, she was amazed at everything I did and said…" he stopped when he saw Sara's raised eyebrow and oh-really look "No offense, Sara, but you give me a hard time, you challenge me, you're not exactly easy to impress"

Sara chuckled "Fair enough… continue"

"Then, when I told her I was a criminal, I discovered this alluring woman who wasn't afraid of living in danger and having fun while doing so. It reminded me a lot of the fun I used to have with Alex…" he said

"Alex? So she is one of the official ones after all, huh?" she teased

Neal was about to protest and defend himself when he caught sight of Sara's playful look

"It's ok, I'm liking this honest version of you, Caffrey" she teased

"Yeah, honest and with bigger biceps" he said flexing his arm making her laugh

"Ok, so please continue" she said sipping her glass

"You're not even the least bit uncomfortable with this?" he asked incredulous

"It is very disturbing to think I was subject of a psycho's scrutiny, yes. Of course, assuming I was one of the official ones who got scrutinized… but other than that, I'm ok if you're ok" she said keeping the playful tone

Neal shook his head "You have no idea…" he gulped the remaining wine in his glass and poured some more before continuing "The last days before I discovered it was a con were the best. She became this witty, sophisticated and sexy woman, always teasing and challenging me, encouraging me to steal things for the good reasons and just being a perfect match, not being afraid of stepping on gray areas and making me feel energized, matched, but in a good confident way…" he added looking up at her with a meaningful smile hoping it all sounded familiar to her

Sara actually blushed and smiled nervously

"What I mean is that, the last days were the best because she was pretending to be like you…" he said looking her straight in the eye "And the hair… God, I should've seen it before" he said muttering with irritation

"The hair?" she asked

"Yeah, red, she got it from you…" he said tilting his head to the side "Sara, I'm really sorry…"

"It's ok, Neal. Really, she got what she deserved and I'm just glad you're OK" she said smiling shyly and caressing his cheek. On the inside, she was sure she would have recurring nightmares with this woman

Neal leaned into her hand and closed his eyes "Thank you for understanding"

"Don't mention it, that's what official ex-girlfriends are for" she attempted at humor succeeding in making Neal chuckle

"Thanks for sharing this with me and I'm sorry you had to go through all that" she said with honest compassion and hurting for him. No one deserves to be conned into falling in love, not even the master of conmen. Certainly not Neal, thought Sara

Neal nodded "Thank you, Sara"

"And for the record, I'm not that hard to impress…" said Sara standing up to get a glass of water, the wine was getting into her system quite easily and she was feeling the warmth in her hands and cheeks

Neal stood up as well smiling and secretly enjoying the challenge of impressing Sara, it had been one of the most refreshing and desirable things about her "The wine's getting to you, isn't it? Here, let me give you something to eat" he said opening the fridge and pulling some brie cheese and crackers, along with some green grapes

Sara couldn't help but smile at seeing how good it felt having Neal knowing her so well and anticipating her needs without speaking a word "Thanks. Oh I see we will keep the French theme going on tonight huh?" she said referring to very much European-style snack and French cheese

"A guy can hope… French kissing could be next" he teased with such sexy flirtatious smirk that he should be put in jail just for it

Sara laughed out loud "In your dreams, Caffrey!"

They ate in silence for a little while until Sara broke it "Ok, my turn…"

"I didn't know this was quid-pro-quo again?" said Neal teasing

"Shut up before I lose my guts…" she said and took a deep breath "Seeing you shooting Rebecca like that made me really scared of you" she admitted in one breath

Neal sat back in his chair waiting to see where this was going

Sara looked briefly at him and continued playing with a grape in her fingers "I know you did it to protect me"

"But…?" he prodded

"But I'm still scared…" she admitted quietly

"Of me?" he asked leaning on the table closer to her

She nodded quietly

"Sara, you know I would never ever hurt you or…" he started with a little indignation in his voice

"No, I know that, Neal. It's just that… I'm afraid you won't be able to become straight once you're…" she said but got interrupted

"Last time I checked I wasn't gay…" he said joking bitterly

"Neal…" Sara threatened at his moronic joke

He sighed running his hands on his hair "So you're afraid of me because once a criminal, always a criminal, right? And now even broadening my felonies into the shooting and killing game? Is that it?!" he said upset standing up and pacing back and forth

"No, Neal, it's not like that!" she said standing up as well. Her intention was certainly not to upset him like this

"Then what is it? Because if you don't believe that I can change, well, welcome to the club in which Peter's the president and lots of members are joining every minute, including myself" he said angrily at her. His normally crystalline eyes acquiring a darker shade of blue

"Neal, I don't want you to change…" she started

"What?!" he asked not really understanding. Everyone wanted him to change

"I think you have been a victim of the rough circumstances but your heart is so strongly good that even with the darkest of temptations, you've managed to stay a good man" she said slightly touching his hand "I just got scared with everything and I got confused. It felt like suddenly I didn't know you at all but I see you haven't changed" she squeezed his hand "You're still a good man who knows how to master a gun to protect others even when he doesn't like using them" she smiled

"I can't change the past and it also makes me who I am today" he said shaking his head

"No but you can start by believing in yourself today and every day from now on. As long as you keep considering yourself a criminal, you will keep on acting upon your own label and projecting that to others" she explained

"Who made you psychologist?" he asked evading her truth statement

She gave him a sad smile "You know I'm right"

He sighed and let go of her hand as if it suddenly burned "Yeah you are…" he said and walked to the window turning his back to her and putting his hands in his pockets

"Neal, I'm sorry I doubted you" she said softly

He could sense her presence close behind him, not only physically but emotionally as well. He closed his eyes. There was no point in getting attached to her again if he was bound to remain alone here

"Neal, talk to me, I'm here…" she said placing a tentative hand on his shoulder

"You're here now…" he said not turning around "But you'll be leaving again"

"Neal I just…" she started protesting

He turned around and made her stop by holding her face in his hands gently "Sara, I cannot pretend to be just friends with you" he said looking at her in the eyes "I rather not get attached to the fantasy of having you close when it's only going to last one night"

Sara froze and got lost in his eyes, so blue, so true "Neal, I…"

He smiled sadly "No, Sara. It's ok" he said running his thumbs softly in her cheeks "I know you're happy in London and so I'm happy for you, maybe I'll come visit once my anklet is off and who knows, we could explore more of the French together. How does that sound huh?" he said smiling sweetly

Sara was speechless, she wanted to kiss him, to run, to scream… but instead she just kept staring at his beautiful eyes. He leaned in and kissed her forehead, his lips lingering and then he parted only to hug her tightly in his arms

She wrapped her arms around his waist enjoying the feeling of completeness. This was home and it had never been clearer to her "Neal?"

"Hmmm" he murmured not letting her go

"I might stay in NY for a little while" she said quietly

"Mandatory vacation, right? Good… I'll be happy to be near you as much as possible" he said not breaking the embrace

"I might be staying longer than that… maybe indefinitely" she said

This time Neal did break the embrace to hold her at arms-length and look her in the eye "What?"

Sara suddenly felt nervous "My boss asked me to handle an old case here and so I'll be staying here until that's over but it might take a while"

"A while meaning at least a month?" he asked with eyes full of hope

"Maybe… why?" she said

"My lawyer said my trial might be over in a month and my chances are looking pretty good so in a month I might be actually proclaimed a free man" he said getting excited

Despite knowing that his trial was in jeopardy because of the Rembrandt case if it turned out to be one of Neal's old forgeries, Sara couldn't help but smile "That's really good, Neal"

All of a sudden Neal's brain-wheels started turning a mile per second "Sara…" he said grabbing her hands in his "Do you think we could… um, you know, um…" he started babbling and he cleared his throat "What I'm trying to say is that… and I know it sounds awkward after everything we just talked about but I have to ask because it's you…" he said looking deeply in her eyes with such tenderness that Sara felt like she could just melt "Could we give us a second chance?"

Sara didn't realize she was holding her breath until she had to let it go before turning blue. Oxygen might also be a good thing to have in her brain at this moment to be able to answer this question

Neal searched her eyes for a sign of something. Hope, rejection… anything? "Look, Sara, I was coward enough to not ask you to stay for me, with me. I thought it was selfish but I can't make the same mistake twice"

He stepped closer to her and put a gentle hand in her cheek and slowly, very slowly, he leaned in closer to her lips not breaking eye contact "If you tell me to stop, I will" he whispered almost touching her lips "But I think another time, another place, is now" he said barely touching her lower lip with his "it's the same us"

Sara just closed her eyes "Don't stop" she whispered and it was all it took for Neal to erase the millimeters of air separating their lips. The kiss wasn't passionate or hungry, it was just their lips touching, recognizing each other, remembering…

"Neal…" Sara said putting a hand in his chest to push him apart. She saw him smiling slightly and almost regretted what she was going to say but she knew she had to "I don't want to rush things"

Neal swallowed and his smile disappeared "Ok, I understand…" he said looking down

"I'm not saying no. I'm just saying we should go slow" clarified Sara caressing his cheek and making him look up

His smile returned "Ok, I get it. I'll have to win you over again"

"Who said you won me before?" she replied with a mischievous smile

They laughed together feeling comfortable with the energy around them. Neal was happy to play the enamored suitor with her; there was nothing more fun to do, especially with Sara.

"Come here" she said and pulled his face close and she kissed his jaw, right where she had previously removed the paint, sucking slightly with her tongue "Hhhmm very nice wine, couldn't let it go to waste" she said with mischief making Neal grin like an idiot. He didn't let go of her and looked at her smiling lazily

"What?" she asked nervously laughing

"Nothing, I'm just trying to win you over" he said grinning

She threw her head back laughing and pushing him to let go of her

Neal mock-grunted playfully sniffing her neck "Going slow will be very difficult"

Sara pushed him more forcefully "I'm sure you'll survive… or keep going to the gym" she said mischievously

Neal laughed and shook his head. Yes, it would be definitely fun

"So, watcha painting here?" she asked nonchalantly getting closer to the easel

"Oh just trying to get my own style. I used to paint a lot when I was younger" he said

"Oh?" Sara got more interested in this young Neal. The reason why she stayed in New York and her main concern "What did you paint? You had original work?"

"Nah, mostly forgeries" he said "Rembrandt used to be my favorite"

TBC

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**Uh oh... LOL. Thanks for your reviews guys! Yes there's Sara fluff in this story but there's also some cool white collar crime to be solved so please stick with me even if you aren't a Neal/Sara shipper ok? Promise I'll give you candy =P**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for the reviews and follows! I'm really happy you're liking this! :)**

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**Chapter 4**

"So, watcha painting here?" she asked nonchalantly getting closer to the easel

"Oh just trying to get my own style. I used to paint a lot when I was younger" he said

"Oh?" Sara got more interested in this young Neal. The reason why she stayed in New York and her main concern "What did you paint? You had original work?"

"Nah, mostly forgeries" he said "Rembrandt used to be my favorite"

Sara froze "Rembrandt? Any particular reason?"

Neal scratched the back of his head and looked up smiling as if trying to remember simpler and sweeter times "I was fascinated by his paintings. The perfect balance of tridimensional planes even when it is believed he had strabismus you know? The way he mastered the chiaroscuro and how he managed to imprint so much humanity in his portraits is unique, you could almost see people's soul in their oil-canvas eyes"

"Wow sounds like you are a fan…" said Sara getting more and more preoccupied with all this. If Neal was such a big fan there was definitely a motive for him to want to steal the painting. However, she couldn't just go out and tell him of her suspicions, not after she had just apologized for doubting him. Sara felt trapped but did a very good job at keeping calm and she just figured she should try to keep him talking "I thought your fandom went more with certain Italian artists who drew dragons"

"Agh please don't call Raphael's work drawings!" he said disgusted

Sara grinned "Oh sorry… so you liked religious themes, Caffrey? Never pegged you for a believer, I mean, Rembrandt is just one of the biggest baroque masters, it doesn't get more religious than that!"

Neal smiled immensely pleased at having again this intellectual banter he missed so much with Sara "Well, Rembrandt did it all, not only Biblical stuff you know? Portraits were actually his forte, more so at the end of his career"

"Hhhmm so you do know his work I see. Did you forged many of his paintings?" she asked tentatively

"A lot! I pretty much mastered in Rembrandt" he said smiling wistfully "Ah the indiscriminate youth"

Sara gulped "I see… forging and fencing Rembrandts must be a very profitable business"

Neal laughed "Most definitely. But you'd be surprised at how many forged his work, even since he was alive"

"What?" Sara was confused

"Oh yeah, he became very popular from a very young age so he started teaching lots of people in Europe probably allowing his pupils to learn by copying his work. There's also the fact that he used to have around 90 different signatures so you can imagine that forging his art wasn't so hard" he said raising his eyebrows mischievously "But…" he added popping a grape in his mouth and after chewing a little he said "Even when he changed styles radically throughout his career and signed them in 90 different ways, he was so good that only he could paint a Rembrandt. Not many forgeries can be passed for the original"

"Could your forgeries pass up as an original?" she had to ask, it was a very direct question but she knew she had to

Neal chuckled "Hopefully" he teased

Sara sighed heavily "I should get going now"

"Why? Did I say something wrong?" he asked with concern in his eyes

Sara felt guilty somehow but she couldn't explain further "No, Neal, I'm just tired and I have an early start tomorrow at the office"

"What's this case about anyway? Is there something I can help with?" he offered gently

"You know I can't talk about cases, Neal. But thanks for the offer, I'll let you know if I need advice" she said hurrying to get her purse

"Sara…" he called

She turned around gripping her purse with both hands to relieve some of the tension she was feeling right now

Neal walked closer to her and stood inches from her. He looked her in the eye "Thanks for believing in me… in us"

Sara felt crushed. If he only knew that she was exactly doing the opposite by thinking he was guilty or at least involved in one of the most high-profile heists of the XX century. In order to placate her remorseful conscience, Sara convinced herself that she was doing it to protect him from his past and helping to bury and burn all evidence that pointed at a very cynical and not so righteous younger life, so that this wonderful man could be totally free and once and for all reformed.

Neal cupped her cheek with his hand and leaned in "Can I have a kiss goodnight?" he asked with this innocent playful way only he could manage

Sara took a deep breath and instead of answering she just reached up to touch his lips with hers for a brief kiss "See you around, Caffrey" she said after parting and left without looking back

Neal stood there grinning and leaned back on his closed door sighing happily.

"I can't believe you're actually doing the lean-in-the-door-and-sigh-from-lovesickness thing" said Mozzie from the other side of the door

Neal turned and opened the door again "Mozz? Are you spying on me?"

"Don't flatter yourself, I just needed wine and I figured I shouldn't interrupt your happy reunion with miss Repo" said Mozzie entering the apartment and heading straight for the wine cellar "Did you drink all the 73 Cabernet?" he asked

"There's some left in the bottle… Mozz, no offense but it's late and I need to sleep" said Neal, hands on his hips

Mozz frowned at him "I can't believe you're back with Sara after just breaking up with Rebachel"

"Rebachel?" Neal raised an eyebrow

"Yeah, it's easier to refer to her like that. In fact, I'm thinking I should merge my name and my alias to something like Tezzy or Moddy. There's also Bob, so maybe something like Bobzzy? Although it doesn't represent my masculinity" said Mozzie

"And Tezzy does?" asked Neal exasperated

"Yeah, it has this masculine sophistication ring to it and…" started Mozzie and then stopped "So, Sara? I'm surprised she took you back so easily, I'm starting to believe you have this hypnosis-seduction power that vampires have"

"What?"

"Sorry, been watching too much vampire diaries lately…" apologized Mozzie and sat down

Neal shook his head and rubbed the bridge of his nose "She didn't take me back and we're not back together…"

"But you want to?"

Neal shrugged admitting it without using words "She wants to take things slowly"

Mozzie sighed "Neal, it might be wise to do so" he said and when he saw Neal's dreadful glare he added "For the both of you"

Neal ran his hands through his hair

"Look, all I'm saying is that, you got shaken pretty badly in the love department and it's not fair for Sara to be responsible for picking up the pieces… again" said Mozzie sipping his glass "She already did it with Kate… Just don't hurt her ok?"

Neal raised a questioning eyebrow. Somewhere along the way, apparently Mozzie had grown fond of Sara and he was now trying to protect her "I would never hurt her"

Mozzie nodded "So long-distance relationship huh? You know, I have very HD cameras to do some cyber…"

"Shhh Mozz!" said Neal before his friend could go any further "She's staying in New York indefinitely to work on a case"

It was Mozzie's turn to frown "Don't they have insurance investigators here? Why her?"

Neal shrugged "Don't know, she said it was a high-profile case and her boss wanted her to handle it personally"

"Did she say what it was?"

"She said it was confidential" said Neal

Mozzie crossed his arms with a disbelieving look

"Mozzie what?" asked Neal doing the same

"Last time she handled a case 'personally" said Mozzie quoting with his fingers the last word "was when she helped you get cleared of the Raphael. It was her idea to do it"

Neal frowned and then chuckled "That's too paranoid, even for you Mozz"

"Did you notice anything strange? Any particular subject you talked about with her?" asked the bald man

Neal thought for a second "Aside from the fact that she asked very uncomfortable questions about Rebecca… I don't think so…" said Neal scratching his jaw and then he remembered how she scrubbed the paint from there and it made him think of his painting… "She did ask a lot about the forgeries I did when I was younger though, I told her how obsessed I used to be with Rembrandt"

Mozzie raised his eyebrows "Seriously? Baroque?" and then added "Did you forge any high-profile Rembrandts?"

Neal closed his eyes remembering something and then lowered his head in defeat "I did…" he muttered

"Did you fenced them?" asked Mozzie carefully, now standing up and walking closer to his friend

"Not exactly…" said Neal twisting his mouth

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**Short update but it's a transitional one... ;) **

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**Chapter 5**

"Hi Diana! Lovely day isn't it? I'm thinking I want to paint something especial for Theo but not sure on the theme or colors of his bedroom" said a very chirpy Neal the next morning when he arrived at the FBI white collar office

Mommy Berrigan looked at him with a questioning eyebrow "Caffrey, what did you do this time?"

"What? Nothing! I just really wanna do something nice for Theo, after all… you know, he's kinda my nephew…" said Neal lowering his voice

"He is not your nephew, nor Mozzie's grandson! Would you two quit it already?!" said Diana whispering through gritted teeth "Get to work, Neal" she added getting back to work herself

Neal sighed in resignation and walked to his desk. His phone buzzed with a text which read: His room is blue of course, not the crappy pastel shade though, Tks

Neal grinned and turned around towards Diana's desk tipping his hat in acknowledgement and gaining a nod and small smile from the agent. He went to his desk and sat down

"Neal!"

"Can't a guy get a break here? Geez…" said Neal standing up again and heading up to Peter's office

"Peter, I don't understand why you have to be all power-hungry. Why the yelling?" he asked entering Peter's office

Peter grinned "I'm gonna miss yelling at you, that's all"

Neal gave him the are-you-kidding-me look

"How did it go with Sara?" asked Peter with a mischievous smirk

"Seriously? You summoned me up here to ask about Sara?" Neal was beginning to think that Peter was way too bored for his own good without the field-work and maybe taking a full time desk job would be very damaging for his mental stability - "Wait, how you know I talked to Sara?"

Peter kept on smiling "We've talked… Anyway, I hope things went well because you and Sara are expected for dinner tonight at the Burke's household. Won't take no for an answer"

"Peter…"

"Nope, nada" said Peter stubbornly and emphasizing with his hands "C'mon Neal, I thought after everything you've been through, you could actually have some fun and just enjoy some down time"

Neal sighed in resignation. He knew arguing with Peter when he was this focused on a mission was futile so… "Yeah, ok, thanks"

"Neal, seriously though… I know I'm moving on to a new life in DC but there's nothing I would like more than to see you happy. You deserve a better life in which you get to use your intelligence and your artistic talents for good. Have you thought about painting for real and opening up one of those art galleries? Elle will be working for the National Gallery after all, I'm sure she could give you a hand or something…" said Peter standing up and fidgeting with a pen

This conversation was becoming more and more surreal by the minute "Peter? Are you bored?"

"No, why?" asked the Agent soon to be section chief

"Isn't there anything else more pressing you have to do instead of analyzing my life?" asked Neal not being able to hide his smile. Even when it was weird, he appreciated Peter getting interested in his personal life

"Ugh, I've been just wondering... There are lots of things I don't know about you and I just think that now that I won't be your handler anymore, I would like to, you know? As a friend. That is if you want…" said Peter now getting nervous

Neal felt touched "Yes, Peter, I would like that" he said smiling

"Good" said Peter grinning

Neal put his hands on his pockets feeling emotionally awkward "So… see you later tonight then"

"Yeah… Oh! Wait, I do have something else I need your advice on…" said Peter digging for a folder from a pile "First I need to ask if you would be OK if I asked for some case advice from time to time, once I'm in DC? I mean, I would love to make it a formal job for you but I need to go up the ladder first and in the meantime, I might need your expertise… is that ok?"

Neal smiled feeling very valued and appreciated "Of course, Peter, what do you need?"

"Ah it's just this case they're dealing with in DC and they wanted my opinion or more like my rookie welcoming... It's an old heist in Boston, it happened in 1990, you were probably a kid by then but a lot of paintings were stolen worth around 300 million" said Peter tentatively

"Oh yeah I know about it! They haven't been recovered, have they? It was a master strike!" said Neal excited and then got serious when he realized he was fangirling about a thief when he was not supposed to "Sorry, it was baaaad…" he said mock-offended with his hand on his chest and all

Peter frowned "No, they haven't been recovered… but they seem to have new leads and funny enough, those leads connect to St Louis somehow. Do you have any street contacts in your hometown?"

It was Neal's turn to frown and he stared at Peter for a while before bursting out laughing "First you want to know more about me and now you're asking me about my street contacts in St Louis? Whats going on, Peter?"

"Oh, nothing, I really need to know if you have any criminal insight there, like I said, I know you were a kid by that time, so I'm not accusing you of anything, Neal" said Peter seriously. He had intended to be subtle about this and the truth is, he did want to know Neal better as friends. But he did have a hidden angle here…

"Hmm I see" said Neal with a smirk "Very subtle, Agent Burke. But if you wanna know more about me, it's gonna have to be under full immunity, not the one that your badge can give me but the one that friendship allows"

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll get to work. See you tonight, Peter" said Neal walking for the door

Peter sat there thinking about what happened. It had been his intention since the beginning to play the random-bubbly friend to get Neal in a playful mood and then ask him nonchalantly about the case just to see his reactions, not mentioning which painting had resurfaced and not providing any specific details. According to Peter's judgment, Neal had passed the test with flying colors. His answers seemed honest and direct, not evasive and the uncertainty registered in his face when asking if the painting had been recovered was genuine.

But, Peter had a theory about Neal...

Neal's talent was natural and his morals were solid but there had to have been something else that made him start committing crimes. A lot of kids grow up without a father and lot of people live and procreate under witness protection programs, which makes it even more difficult to become criminals. So Peter imagined Neal growing up under the custody of a righteous cup like Ellen and under the Marshall's watch, with a mother that seemed a little absent but still the typical mom who bakes cookies and put presents under the Christmas tree. Maybe, whoever committed this heist, taught Neal how to paint? Or maybe Neal stole the paintings and being around 11 or 12 when the heist happened, he might have been helpful on escaping through the air ducts? Yeah, it was a working theory that sounded ridiculous, Peter thought, and nothing solid seemed to be gluing together but it all brought a big question for him: When was the first time that Neal Caffrey committed a crime? What or who triggered his criminal instincts?

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Uneasy was barely the start of how Neal felt after that conversation with Peter. There was something else he wasn't telling him and unfortunately –and sadly-, the illusion of not playing cat and mouse with him was not happening anytime soon and after this, Neal had the feeling that even if he did get his anklet off, Peter would always harbor a suspicious nature towards him.

He took his hat and left the FBI building…

"Caffrey, where do you think you're going?!" yelled Diana "We have work to do"

"Sorry Diana, I have to go" said Neal shrugging and continuing on his way "I'm sure you can manage without me"

Diana was left open-mouthed and in shock. Sure Neal was not tied to a schedule but if there were cases to be solved, he had to be there… Diana turned around to look into Peter's office and found his boss looking out the window just staring. "Hmmm…" she knew something was up

"The mockingbird chirped at noon…"

"Cut the crap, Mozz. It's me" said Neal seating on the park bench next to his friend

"So, what's up, Neal?" asked Mozzie licking his vanilla ice-cream

"You didn't buy one for me?" said Neal and sighed "Mozz, I have a bad feeling… and it's all your fault for harvesting paranoid ideas in my head"

Mozzie grinned "I hate to say this, my friend, but whenever I do that to a person it just makes me feel warm inside" he said and then got serious "About what?"

"Peter tried to find out about my past today and not in a subtle way" said Neal leaning his elbows on his knees

"How dare he!" mock-gasped Mozzie

"Mozz, I'm serious! He started asking about my street contacts in St Louis because somehow he made a connection about an old art-robbery case from 1990 in Boston and this case was just mysteriously dropped on his lap" explained Neal trying to remain calm "First Sara asking about my juvenile forgeries and now this…" sighed Neal leaning his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together in a preoccupied manner

"Did you do it?" asked Mozzie simply. Neal turned and glared at him "What? It's a legit question and you can tell me, I'm not the suit" said Mozzie

"The heist happened in 1990, I was 11!" said Neal raising his voice a little upset at everyone suddenly assuming the worst with him

"So what? I began my criminal life around that age" simply explained Mozzie

Neal grunted. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea coming to talk to Mozzie… "Well, I didn't" muttered Neal "I did forged a lot of paintings but not for profit…" Neal sighed feeling hopeless

"If you didn't profited from them, maybe someone else did" said Mozzie licking his ice-cream nonchalantly

"Yeah…" Neal sighed fearing the worst "I'll see you around" he said and stood up not turning back

Mozzie frowned not really understanding "Chess tonight?"

"Can't" answered Neal from afar not even turning around

Mozzie just shrugged and continued reading his newspaper

Neal headed home and took the gadget he never thought he would use. He put the headphones on and started clicking away on the needle. He waited about an hour and there it was…

"He's still alive" Neal said out loud smiling and grabbed his headphones again typing quickly with the needle making a series of sounds only the other end could decipher. The answer he got was what he imagined and dreaded but did not want to get. He sighed… his past was catching up on him and there was nothing he could do about it.

Desperate and in need of distraction, Neal started walking with no real direction around the city, thinking hard about painful memories brought inevitably by Peter's questioning and the confirmation he just got through the old homemade telegraphy-type machine, memories that he had long forgotten about. He was convinced that he could change his slightly twisted path, but it seems the world was convinced that he couldn't…

'I don't want you to change'

Those were Sara's words last night and it made Neal smile. What a contradiction they were at this moment, especially with this year's course of events. He felt happy and even proud of his heists, he could brag about them even –if it was legal to do so-, plus he had never killed anyone nor plan to do so… yet he knew that stealing was wrong, he wasn't stupid. But he also knew that people conned others all the time, even their loved ones; of course in the no-criminal world, it was called persuasion, not conning. It was a matter of perspective, he thought cynically. And he hadn't even begun stealing or conning people into doing things for him as a way of harming them, it all started for fun and as a way of escaping a reality he never wanted to accept…

He stopped in front of Sterling Bosch's building. How he got here was beyond him but looked up and thought of the only choice he had now. If he couldn't escape from his past, he could at least come clean in his present. He got his cellphone out and dialed "Wanna get a drink before dinner with the Burke's?"

It had surprised Sara in a good and bad way at the same time. Her heart did a summersault and triple axel all at once when she heard his voice, it did things to her stomach as well. But she was right in the middle of analyzing the painting that had just arrived to her office this morning, the one that she suspected was done by Neal in his younger days. It looked beautiful and perfect, as if it had been painted by Rembrandt himself, but the lab tests were the treacherous bastards who betrayed its authenticity –'Why didn't you aged the painting, Neal? Why weren't you more careful?'-, she asked herself. Sara sighed and covered the painting with a black silky fabric so no one saw it, grabbed her purse and locked her office door on her way out.

"On which universe is this considered taking things slow, Caffrey?" she said while walking briskly out of the building to where he was standing on the sidewalk, looking like a model who escaped from one of Fiovarenti's catwalks and not a guy who escaped from prison four years ago. But the minute she took a closer look at his eyes and beyond the flirtatious smirk, she saw that instead of the usual happy and smooth charming man, there it laid a wounded soldier. She wouldn't be surprised if by opening his jacket she could see the red stain of blood in his white crisp shirt, of course, in a figuratively way.

"You look beautiful, New York suits you" he said with a huge grin

Despite her suspicions and need to ask what was wrong, she smiled at his charm. She hooked her arm through his "Where to?" she said avoiding the real question at the tip of her tongue and not brave enough to ask yet. She had learned that Neal's fortress was even more difficult to penetrate than hers and if she wanted to get in, she would have to be patient and caring. His words from last night had stung in her head –'Rebecca was innocent and got amazed at everything I did or said'-. Sure Sara would never be nor wanted to be like Rebecca but she suspected that those qualities, being sweet and innocent (which meant showing affection openly), were exactly the magic key that could unlock his heart, -not that Sara had to play a role or anything, she just had to let her own walls down-. Piece of cake, she thought sarcastically. But she was determined to do it because she knew that, as long as he felt challenged and confronted, he was gonna fight back, either with spicy sexy banter or with smart evasive answers, but not with real honest and vulnerable ones. And if he was hurting for something, she wanted to be able to help, not by challenging him or judging, but just by being there for him.

They took a cab and kept silent throughout the 15 minute ride to Riverside Drive, each absorbed into their thoughts, each feeling and needing to get closer, not really knowing how to do it.

Before they entered June's house, Neal pulled Sara close and held her hands in his. He took a deep breath and looked her in the eye "Sara, I need to tell you something but I need you to promise you won't tell Peter about it… not yet"

Always expect the unexpected, they say, but Sara was definitely not expecting those words coming out of his mouth. She hadn't even started playing her role of sweet and innocent, yet he was being open and honest with her. Life is full of surprises, she thought. He wanted to confide in her and he didn't want her to tell Peter. There was a catch here somewhere…

"Neal, you know I wouldn't…" she started but got silenced by his lips

She felt her knees getting weak at the sudden assault. His kiss was full of need and his hands holding her arms tightly completed the message. He parted after a few seconds and leaned his forehead on hers closing his eyes for a moment "I made the mistake of keeping secrets from you once… I just don't want to do the same again"

"Neal, what is it? You're scaring me" she said pushing him with a hand in his chest to be able to see his face

"I think you know what I'm getting at…" he said with a sad smile and then added "It's about the Rembrandt you're investigating, the reason why you stayed in New York"

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**Thanks for your feedback! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey folks, sorry for the absence, it's been a busy week at work and even though I know exactly how I want this story to go and end, I just haven't found the time to put it down on paper. Sounds familiar? Jeff Eastin and the damn mistery of the season 6 renewal? LOL - Sorry though, I'll try to make it up this weekend, promise!**

**Here's a short yet important chapter to prove my word. Hope you enjoy!**

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**Chapter 7**

That night, Neal and Sara talked. Not just about Neal's fears and concerns but they really opened up to each other and Sara realized that it wasn't difficult to be amazed at everything Neal said and did.

"Neal, I can't believe all this…" she said almost to herself having a really hard time grasping all that Neal had confided in her

"Yeah but please promise me you won't tell Peter" he said holding her hands for emphasis

"But, Neal, for the first time you didn't do anything wrong!" protested Sara

"No, please Sara, promise me" he insisted "I can't risk it. I have to protect him"

"Protect who? The man who…?" she asked

Neal nodded "And Peter too, he can't know"

She just nodded trying to understand Neal's motives "I thought you trusted Peter, as a friend I mean"

"I do but he's off to DC soon and I can't risk getting him involved in this because I know he would just try to protect me and it could risk his big chance" said Neal

Sara gave him a sad smile "You really care about him, don't you?"

Neal just nodded and cleared his throat "I do"

"Ok, but now that we're being completely honest, I have to confess something" she said and cleared her throat "I also trust Peter implicitly and I might have already mentioned my suspicions to him… sorry"

Neal chuckled "I know"

"You know? How?" she asked surprised

"Well, Peter's not the most subtle person when it comes to trying to get information from me and you were also suddenly interested in my younger forgeries so it wasn't hard to put two and two together…" explained Neal with a little smile on his face, not angry or anything, just knowing these people's MO very well when it came to protecting him

"I see…" Sara laughed nervously

"Hey, it's ok. I know you both care about me and you were just trying to protect me" said Neal smiling "Thank you"

"You're welcome… I guess?" she said still a little nervous at getting caught "What do you want me to tell Peter then? I have a meeting with him tomorrow to follow-up on this"

"Clandestine meetings and everything, huh?" teased Neal and then added "Just stall, tell him you haven't found any leads and that you're going slowly to avoid raising any red flags within Sterling Bosch"

"Hhhmm… I can do that but you're gonna have to tell him eventually and mislead him on your own because he's conducting his own investigation" she said

Neal sighed "I can imagine… I'll come up with something"

"So, what are we gonna do about this?" she asked breaking his thoughtful reverie

"We?" he asked raising a questioning eyebrow

"Yes, we. You don't think I was just gonna move on and forget everything you just told me, do you?" she asked with a raised eyebrow

"I was kinda hoping you would do exactly that" said Neal sheepishly

"Oh? Because that would imply me dropping this case and moving back to London, say… tomorrow perhaps?" she said mock-reflecting

"Oh no, you don't!" said Neal getting all serious

"Are you gonna have Rebecca kidnap me again to keep me here or something?" she said teasing him

Neal glared not finding it funny "Just… don't go yet, ok? I have a month to clear this mess and then hopefully I'll get this thing off me" he said hitting his anklet-clad leg with the table lightly

"We have a month, Neal. We. I'm in this with you, we're in this together" she said smiling "I wanna help you"

Neal grinned "It might imply stepping in some gray areas and you don't exactly want to cross lines that you can't come back…" he said making fun of her previous argument while ditching the idea of keeping the treasure

"Oh shut up, isn't this the part that you enjoyed about me?" she said cocking an eyebrow

"There are so many parts I enjoy about you, you have no idea" said Neal devilishly running a hand through her thigh

"Neal!" she said laughing and enjoying the flirty banter "Oh we have to go!"

"No…" he groaned "this was just getting interesting"

"C'mon, let's not keep the Burkes waiting" she said taking his hand and pulling him up from the coach

Neal obliged and let her pull him up and drag him out of the house while holding his hand. He hadn't told the whole truth to Sara but at least it was a partial version that could allow him to keep her cool while he found Richard. Not that he wanted to keep secrets from her; he was just planning on dropping the truth little by little.

Seating on the cab on their way to the Burke's for a delicious dinner and quality friendly family time, Neal kept on staring out the window, thinking about the things he had confessed to Sara… It made him smile thinking of good ol' Richard, the guy responsible for unveiling Neal's wicked ways and probably the first role model that Neal really had looked up to.

**_Flashback: 27 years ago…_**

You would think that, for a seven-year old boy with beautiful blue eyes who's smart as a whip and athletic as a cub, life couldn't be complicated. However, young Danny Brooks, feels absolutely bored all the time at school; nothing he learns there is challenging and the kids in his classroom are just plain stupid sometimes. He is not a bully though, so he chooses to remain quiet and just do his school chores as he is supposed to even if he finishes 40 minutes before the rest of the class. When the bell rings, he hurries out the door and on to the school bus to get home as soon as possible and build Lego figures or build mud figures in the garden or just play chess with Ellen as soon as she gets home. Today though, he decides to just walk home in silence, kicking some stones on his way, hands tucked in his jeans and sore shoulders from carrying his backpack. He passes in front of an ice cream parlor and he can't help but water his mouth at the delicious pistachio-flavored cone he can imagine they might have there; too bad he didn't bring any money… he can't help but ogle from the outside, almost drooling. He closes his eyes and he can almost taste the ice-cream in his tongue. He takes a deep breath and licks his lips savoring… Imagination can do wonders! He paths his stomach with his little hand and grins feeling satisfied.

"You really want that ice-cream, don't you, Danny?" says a tall man with a buzz cut of blonde hair and gentle green eyes

The boy looks up and says immediately "Huh? Who are you and why do you know my name?" trying to block the sun with his hand and getting a better look at him, he adds "I've seen you around my neighborhood"

The man smiles gently "Yeah, I'm not supposed to be talking to you but I couldn't help it seeing how you almost materialized the damn ice-cream by staring at it. Are you a wizard or something?" he says with a smirk

Danny smiles "Wizards don't exist, at least not in real life. But I can have anything I want up here" he says pointing at his messy dark-brown head of hair

"Ah, yes of course. Come on, let's get that ice-cream before you melt it with your powerful imagination" the man says grinning and with a wink

Danny knows he isn't supposed to talk with strangers but this man somehow seems trustable and nice. Plus, he is offering free ice-cream so it seems like a good deal. He shrugs and walks in the ice-cream parlor.

Five minutes later, Danny is happily licking away his ice-cream "Thank you Mr…?"

"I can't tell you my name. Let's just say we are ice-cream buddies, alright?" says the man ruffling Danny's hair

Danny looks at him with a frown not liking the anonymity of the situation and Ellen always says that remembering names and faces is important

"Don't look at me like that kiddo. Tell you what, let me walk you home every day after school and you can get to know me better so you won't be so distrusting, alright?" offers the mysterious man

"I'm supposed to get home in the bus. Mom's gonna get mad if I don't" answers Danny looking at his blue Chuck's

"Are you sure that's the reason?" asked the man raising a questioning eyebrow and smirking "Or maybe it has something to do with that jackass Barry, the 6th grader who enjoys pestering younger kids in the bus"

Danny looks up in surprise "How do you know?"

"I'm a wizard, I know a lot of things" answers the man grinning

Danny couldn't help but laugh "You're silly… and funny. I like you"

"I like you too, kiddo. You're something special" says the man while putting a hand on Danny's shoulder to start walking again.

When they reach the corner of Danny's home street, the older man stops "This is as far as I go, kiddo. You keep going straight home, alright?"

"Why? You should meet Ellen!" the little boy says excited

"And how exactly are you going to introduce me if you don't know my name? What if I'm just an imaginary friend?" says the man with a twinkle in his eye

Danny gasps thinking of the possibility for a minute "Wait a minute, that's not possible. I know my imagination can do anything but you paid for the ice-cream with real money and I can't create real things from here" explains the very rational and mature Danny, pointing at his head again with a 'duh' expression

"Who told you that?! Of course you can!" says the older man and kneels in front of Danny "You can do anything with this" he says grabbing the boy's head with his large hand "For example, art is a way of making your imagination real"

"Art?" asks the boy curiously

"Yes, art. Paintings, sculptures, music, movies, literature… lots of possibilities of making your imagination real" he says

"Can I do art?" asks Danny tilting his head to the side wondering at the sudden strange and new concept he is learning from this man

"Of course!" he says and stands up towering over Danny "There's a small art gallery on our way home, how about we get in there tomorrow, huh?"

"Yeah! I'd love that! I will tell Ellen as soon as she gets home" says Danny grinning and showing off proudly the frontal teeth window he recently acquired from losing his first tooth

"No, don't tell Ellen yet. Why don't we keep it a secret while you learn to do art and then you can surprise her with a piece done by you" offers the man with a shrug and a gentle smile "It will be something taken out of that wonderful imagination! Would you like that?" he suggests explaining with a wave of his hand in a wizardly way

"Yes! And can I do one for my mom too? She likes tulips, maybe I can do something with tulips?" offers the little boy already creating tons of ideas in his head for his masterpiece. He looks up and grins at his new friend before he starts running home excited for the first time since he went to Disneyworld two years ago "Bye pistachio!" he yells while running home making the older man laugh wholeheartedly at the nickname

**_Present time…_**

Neal chuckled remembering his first encounter with Richard… those were good times, he thought.

"Wanna share the joke, Caffrey?" asked Sara sweetly

Neal turned to look at her and smiled "Some other time"

Sara frowned but let it pass by. Neal didn't look sad or devilish, he just looked nostalgic… "Ok… So what's the story with Peter? Is he trying to set us up again?"

"We don't need help, do we?" said Neal with a wink


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys, I'm sorry for the absence. I've been having the most infamous writer's block ever. I have everything layed out infront of me but it has been really hard to give voice to the characters. I blame it to the denial I have towards season 6 yet-to-be-confirmed renewal =(**

**Let me know if you still find this appealing. I do appreciate (and need) encouragement, now more than ever.**

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**Chapter 8**

"Honey, did you chill the wine?" asked a very-stressed Elizabeth, for having every little detail in perfect status, even for what was considered a family dinner

"Mmm? The wine, yeah sure hon… s'on the fridge…" answered a distracted Peter while flipping through some papers

"Peter, whatever it is that's causing that frown in your sexy face, I need you to put it aside for tonight and just enjoy the evening ok?" demanded Elle not leaving anything to chance

Peter smiled relaxing for a bit. Truth is, he hadn't stopped thinking about the damn Rembrandt and how, so far, no fresh leads had been found, which made him even more restless. He was leaving to DC in two weeks and the last thing he wanted to do was leave Neal in the middle of an unresolved theft that involved him as prime suspect. "I will, hon, promise"

Ding-dong…

Opening the door, Peter took a deep breath "Hello you two, welcome!"

"Hi Peter!" greeted Sara in a cheerful way stepping in to hug Peter briefly "Thanks for the invitation"

Neal nodded "Hi Peter, can't seem to get enough of you yet" he said grinning

Peter chuckled "come on in now"

"Sara! It's so nice to see you! I hear you might be staying around for a while now?" asked Elizabeth with a little mischief while looking pointedly at Neal

Sara blushed "Yeah, NY seems to be cursed or something, it just keeps pulling me back. You on the other hand… DC, huh?"

Elizabeth grinned excited "Yeah! Oh God, I can't wait to start working at the National Gallery!"

The ladies went on to the kitchen to keep on catching up while the boys remained quiet in the living room just watching at them and smiling.

Peter chuckled when he saw Neal's love-sick face "You seem happy" he said in a sing-sang voice

Neal glared at him "Very good, Agent Peter. I see your deductive skills keep getting sharper and sharper"

Peter poured a glass of wine for Neal and rose his own "I want to toast for that. Being happy I mean"

Neal frowned "Cheers"

After taking a sip, Peter tilted his head to the side "Look, Neal, I wanna apologize for the other day"

"What for, Peter?" asked Neal feigning oblivion

Peter smiled and played along "Well, you know, you might be right. I might be addicted to finding the wrong in you, though, it is your fault"

Neal grinned "I don't know what you're talking about but apology accepted"

"Boys! Diner's ready!" hollered Elle from the table to give way to an evening of pleasant conversation and old-times remembrance

"So Neal, once your anklet's off, are you planning on doing any Caffrey originals? I'm sure I could find you a spot at the National Gallery" said Elizabeth with a wink

"Wow, that would be incredible, Elizabeth. But I don't know if I have anything worth it" said Neal with true modesty

"Oh please! You have forged Degas and Raphael for God's sake! You must have something worth it!" said Sara

Peter's eyebrow rose "Yeah, Neal, not to mention sculptures"

Neal laughed nervously "But those are forgeries, I would need originals and I'm afraid those are not so good"

"I'm sure you'll come up with something, sweetie" said Elizabeth with a reassuring hand on his arm

"How about an exhibit of all your forgeries? You have enough to fill a whole museum, don't you? And now that's something I would pay for" said Peter enjoying the pestering

"Oookay, enough about me! Sara, tell us about your adventures in London, huh?" said Neal looking at her with a help-me-look

Sara laughed finding Neal cute "Aw poor baby, fine, I'll rescue you. So, London is great! Lots of criminals and art heists, impressive really, make my life a lot of fun!"

"Ha! I bet they're not as talented and sexy as the ones in NY" said Neal raising his eyebrows playfully

"Neal, I'm trying to help" deadpanned Sara, unamused

Elizabeth and Peter laughed good naturedly and enjoyed the playful banter these two had "Sara, I'm really happy you're back, I hadn't seen Neal smile as much lately" confessed Elle letting out a little too much for Neal's comfort

Neal cleared his throat embarrassed "Yeah, it's good to have you back" he said holding Sara's hand under the table making her blush

After a couple more hours of fun banter and wine, they decided to call it a night "Wanna share a cab?" asked Neal trying to make it quietly so no one else would hear

"Why don't you take the Beamer?" suggested Peter who apparently didn't understand the concept of private conversations

"Beamer? Mid-life crisis or something?" said Neal looking at Elle questioningly

Elle shrugged "I've heard my nephews calling it that way, seems cool these days"

"Shut-up you two. Do you want the damn car or not?" said Peter exasperated

"Yes dad…" said Neal rolling his eyes at Peter's little tolerance for jokes and then added "I got a hot ride for my hot date!" said Neal fist up and all

Sara just laughed and shook her head "Bye, Elle! Thanks for dinner, it was lovely" she said hugging the other woman and then turned to Peter "See you around" was all she said looking knowingly at him. They would meet tomorrow to share their findings on the Rembrandt

Once they were in the car - "So, the Warwick, huh? Nice!" said Neal referring to the fancy hotel Sara was staying at "Is it courtesy of Sterling Bosch?"

"Not exactly, since I'm staying for personal interest" she replied looking out the window

Neal nodded "Right, I forgot you're very hot shot CEO and rich too"

Sara turned to see him grinning and rolled her eyes "Shut up, Neal. I do have a bigger paycheck but it doesn't mean I can afford staying at five star hotels for a month. I'm just staying there this week and then I'll move to a more affordable one"

"Why the Warwick?" asked Neal, curious as ever

"Aren't you full of questions today?" she said sighing "It's just… it brings back some memories" she said a little somber now

Neal noticed the change in her demeanor "Hey, what's wrong? You can tell me"

Sara looked down at her hands "The Beatles stayed at the Warwick the first time they came to America and dad was a big fan, so he brought us here to NY once for Thanksgiving weekend and we stayed there" she said with nostalgia "It was the last vacation we did all together as a family before Emily ran"

Neal reached out for her hand and placed his on top squeezing gently "Sounds like fun"

Sara returned the squeeze and a little smile "Yeah, dad had his moments"

"You know what sounds like fun too?" he said with mischief in his eyes "Holding your breath while crossing the Brooklyn Bridge with the car top off"

"What?!" asked Sara surprised "Are we fifteen?" she deadpanned rolling her eyes. But she just saw that Neal was not joking and he was already turning the car that way "Is that even on your radius?" and then she didn't have time to think or protest further because Neal sped off and she had to brace herself from wherever she could

The top of the car came off and the air hit them violently "Ready to make new happy memories from NY?" asked Neal when they reached the beginning of the Bridge, which was pretty lonely at this time of the night, very few cars there

Sara just grinned and nodded. Neal kissed her hand and stepped on the gas pedal all the way down. Sara lifted her hands and screamed at the top of her lungs closing her eyes

"You're supposed to hold your breath!" hollered Neal laughing

"I can't!" she just hollered back and kept on screaming

They both laughed enjoying the silly and simple moment of adrenaline. Once they got to the end of the Bridge, Neal turned to go back to Manhattan

"Wow, that was amazing!" she said still laughing, both from the excitement and the happiness. She turned to look at Neal and his hair looked adorable sticking in every direction, it made her giggle

"What?" he asked

"Your hair" she just said

"Oh, look who's talking…" he chuckled "You've never looked sexier"

She gasped and started frantically arranging her hair which was inevitably a mess and when she realized it was unfixable she just laughed. They reached a red light and Neal turned to grab her face "You always look beautiful" he said and kissed her gently at first and then the kiss grew until they both had to come up for air

She smiled shyly feeling like a teenager all over again "As much as I would like to make out on a convertible and a Beamer nonetheless, this is Peter's car" she said making a face

Neal laughed "You got a point. Let's go"

They arrived at her hotel and Neal got out and ran to open her door for her. "Such a gentleman!" she said smiling

Neal smiled back and nervously fidgeted not really knowing what to do. In past days, it would be just natural to give the car to the valet parking and go up to her room but now, it was all confusing and awkward "So, dinner went well…" he said nonchalantly and with a sheepish look, while taking careful steps towards her

She was enjoying this too much and she wasn't about to make it any easier for him "Yeah, I think so!" she said all smiles and sweetness while she stood there watching him be clumsy and adorable

He scratched his head and put a hand on his hip "So…" he was looking for something else to continue the conversation or just dig a hole on the ground to crawl into, whatever came first.

Sara on her side was just smiling so much to the point of hurting her cheeks. She raised an eyebrow at Neal's body language. If she didn't know better, she would think he was a teenager or something. "So?" she threw back with mischief

He looked at her and frowned "Sara, I'm miserable here. Come on, you're just enjoying this, aren't you?"

She couldn't help but laugh really loud "Can you blame me? I mean, first you take me on daddy's convertible for a ride with the top off and now you're all nervous while dropping the girl after the date? I mean is just adorable!" she said shamelessly making fun of him while pinching his cheek

Neal gasped in shock and grabbed her roughly by the hips "I ain't no adorable, sweetheart, I'm a tiger!" he said and she just laughed more so he added muttering "Let's see how adorable you find this" while nibbling her neck right there on the middle of the sidewalk

Sara just laughed harder and squealed "Neal!" she pushed him but he didn't let her go far

"Is this still adorable?" he said with a stupid grin on his face and with his hair all mused he looked so young and carefree, as a man who had never had a worry in his life

"Yes" she said still grinning

He started tickling her and she really started squealing like a little girl "Ok, ok, fine! You win, tiger!" she said. There was nothing she hated more than tickling so she gave up

"Now that's better" he said while he swept her off her feet by grabbing her face and kissing her

She responded by hooking her fingertips on his belt and pulling him tighter to her. He moaned and bit her bottom lip gently "I hope you're planning to finish what you're starting"

She slid her hands through his waist below his jacket and hugged him tighter, slightly gracing his fine butt with the tips of her fingers. "I am…" she whispered in his ear before pulling back slightly. She gloated in the realization that she could affect him with small actions like these. His eyes had gone hooded and he had this little cocky smile that indicated he was ready to be at his best in the charming and seducing department, but Sara wanted to make this process painfully delicious and she wasn't about to give in even if her mind, body and soul, protested in unison. She prided herself for self-control capacity and plus, she really wanted to take things slowly. Neal had been through a terrible ordeal with that crazy bitch and Sara wasn't in the mood of playing rebound again so she added with a cute little smile "but not tonight"

"Oh come on! Sara!" came out more like a whiny protest making him look and sound absolutely adorable, contrary to his wishes. He looked at her raised eyebrow and sighed. "Fine… "

She smiled and put a finger on his lips to shush him "What happened to taking things slow?"

"Well, I agreed to that but you're not being very forthcoming with your side of the deal" he said pouting a little bit

"How is that?" she challenged crossing her arms

"You're all over me! Geez!" he said mock-wiping his brow. She slapped his arm playfully "Seriously though, even if it's torture, I do enjoy taking things slow. I don't want to screw it up again"

She nodded, happy to see they were on the same page "Get some rest, Caffrey. You keep this adorable act going and I might change my mind about the speed"

"Yes ma'am. Adorable's my second name" he said winking and kissing her cheek "Good night, Repo"

She squeezed his hand and smiled "Night, Caffrey"

Neal sighed in contentment leaning on the hood of the Beamer watching until she disappeared through the revolving doors of the hotel's entrance. He grinned happily. Even if things were about to get really messy, these little moments made it all worth it. This blissful happiness was nothing compared to what he thought he had felt with Rebecca, that was just a chimera and he now saw it bright and clear. This was real, beautiful and real.


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry the absence... here's a short chapter, just trying to get myself on track again... thanks for sticking with me! **

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**Chapter 9**

"Hi Peter, can I come in?" asked Sara shyly peeking her head on ASAC's door

"Hey, yes of course" answered Peter standing up and closing a file he had been studying

"This is a nice office, I can only imagine how much nicer the one in DC will be" she said admiring the view

Peter smiled "I'm not getting my hopes up yet, I might be king here but I'll probably end up with a corner office with no windows in DC" he said putting one hand on his hip while leaning on the desk "You know, all the big chiefs are over there"

Sara chuckled "You're gonna miss NY, aren't you?"

Peter sighed and looked down smiling "Yeah, but don't tell anyone. Especially not your boyfriend, he can get even cockier"

"He's not my boyfriend!" protested Sara

Peter laughed "Ok, ok… but you sure looked cozy yesterday" he teased and put his hands up defensively when he saw Sara was about to unleash hell "Ok, ok, none of my business! Let's talk about the Rembrandt; now that is my business"

They compared notes and their respective findings done through the FBI and Sterling Bosch and Sara was very careful not to mention anything that could give away what Neal had confessed to her.

"Have you been able to get anything out of Neal? I mean, you've been catching up lately… and no, I'm not teasing, just asking" said Peter with a smug smile. He was teasing of course, but he also wanted to find out

Sara sighed and pursed her lips "No, he hasn't said anything. All I could get him to say was that he started painting at a very young age". She knew she had to give him something so that's as far as she was going to go

"Hmmm… did he say who taught him or something? I mean, he is a natural but he had to have someone to give him the technique" said Peter leaning back in his chair taping a pencil on his chin pensive

"No, he didn't say… maybe he learned it at school? Or maybe his mother? Do we know anything about her?" said Sara misleading the conversation. Neal had told her about Richard, the mysterious childhood friend who ended up being one of the Marshalls that took care of him when he lived in Witsec and how he had gotten Neal into art. He didn't specifically say he taught him how to paint but Sara figured he must've had something to do with it.

"Nah, since Neal grew up in Witsec, we don't have anything prior to his 18th birthday. All I know is that Caffrey was her mother's madden name" he said

"Maybe there's intel on NSA or some other agency? There must be something. No one is that good staying out of the radar" she suggested. She had promised Neal, that she would help stall Peter's investigation and as long as Peter stayed far from Richard and the Marshalls, her job was done.

Something clicked on Peter's brain and he turned to look at her, enlightenment evident on his face "I know someone who gathered intel on Neal's childhood"

"Who?" asked Sara full of hope

Peter grimaced "You are not gonna like it…"

Sara frowned and thought for a second then sighed realizing who Peter was referring to… "Rebecca"

Peter nodded smiling wickedly "We have a whole lot of boxes full with information on Neal's every move along his life"

"God, that woman is just sick…" said Sara disgusted

Peter chuckled but stood up "I'll get those files out of the evidence room and take them home tonight. I'm sure we can find something there"

Sara stood up as well "Yeah, you do that and I'll just go follow up on whatever chemical analysis they're performing on the painting, apparently they found traces of some rare oil painting that is only fabricated in a small town in the south of Ireland"

Peter and Sara parted ways and as soon as Sara was out of earshot, she grabbed her phone "Neal, I think I know how you can find Richard. Meet me at your place in 20 minutes"

20 minutes later on Neal's place…

"No way, I'm not talking to Rebecca again… plus, if I go, Peter will know" said Neal pacing back and forth in front of the big window

"Maybe I can go…" suggested Sara not really sure of what she was getting herself into

"No, Sara. I'm not putting you through that and it's not like you and Rebecca can just chat about my childhood over a cup of tea" said Neal getting more and more frustrated about this whole thing

"Neal, I'm not thrilled about it either but the way I see it, you have two options: I try to get a lead from Rebecca or you come clean with Peter" she said crossing her arms with determination

Neal turned to look at her with a haunted look and despair "I can't do that to Peter. If I tell him, I'm going to make him an accomplice and he won't be able to go to DC"

Sara walked closer to him "Alright, first of all, get your facts straight" she said putting a hand on his arm "You are not guilty of anything. Sure you painted something so good that someone used it to make profit out of it but then again, you didn't know that was going to happen. Second, Peter's a big boy and if you decide not to tell him, be sure that he will find out eventually and it's all gonna blow up in your face" she said and then cleared her throat "our face actually"

"Sara, I'm sorry I got you involved in this…" he started and got shushed by Sara's fingers on his lips

"You have to stop blaming yourself for everything. Where's that reckless, shameless criminal that I know and love, huh?" she said teasing

Neal chuckled "Oh, so you do love me? Finally you admit it!" he said sneaking his hands on her waist

"It's just pep-talk, Neal. Please, don't take it so literal" she said dismissing him and rolling her eyes. She then burst-out laughing when she saw the bewildered look on his face

"Ok, evil-one. So let's say we go with your plan. But if you go with Rebecca, I say we get a jell-o pool in there and a video recorder, I mean I want some evidence" he said with mischief

Sara just gasped "You asshole!" she hit him playfully in the chest

Neal laughed "Hey, you started, miss pep-talk" he said grabbing her hand

"Fine, but just so you know, I would definitely kick her ass" she said

Neal smirked "All my money is on you"

"It better be" said Sara and went to get her purse "so I better go, gotta go kick a crazy bitch's ass"

Neal shook his head smiling "Sara, please be careful. I'm gonna tell Mozzie to go with you ok? And I won't take no for an answer" he said and grabbed her hands "Don't let her get into your head, she's very good at manipulating and getting a kick out of just rattling your feathers"

"Neal, don't worry. Two bitches can play this game" said Sara raising that eyebrow that meant trouble

Neal groaned "God, I don't know if should be scared or turned-on"

"You should be both" she said and pushed him away leaving him there speechless

**TBC**


	10. Chapter 10

**Moving forward slowly... inspiration is getting back to me, LOL. **

**Thanks for your patience!**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

The smell of prison was nothing like Sara had imagined. It was almost like a hospital: sterile, empty, hollow. But despite the absence of smell, the air felt thick and heavy. Now the temperature was something to notice here, it was really cold, the AC must be turned on a cooler level than average. Sara wondered if, maybe it was to keep prisoners more still or something?

Mozzie had assured her that maximum security prison for dangerous criminals was almost like a psychiatric ward and Sara didn't ask further or didn't even want to know how Mozzie knew the inside of one of those but she preferred this reality to the one she had come up with in her imagination… smelly, old, dark… this was, pleasantly different.

Of course you can't just walk into pay a social visit to a murderer casually, unless you proved to be family. So Sara had to make a fake letter from Sterling Bosch, claiming that Rachel Turner had been an important piece of investigation in a high-profile case.

"I think it's best if I go in there alone" said Sara looking down at the bald man who had become her friend over the years

"Are you sure?" asked Mozzie with a hint of uneasiness. Neal had specifically instructed to not lose her out of his sight

"I'll be fine, Mozzie" answered Sara with a reassuring smile and without further discussion, she started walking into the meeting room which consisted in a table with two chairs and divided by thick glass.

Rebecca was already there…

"Well, this is a terrible surprise…" said the blue-eyed woman with a grimace

"Hi Rebecca or should I call you Rachel?" asked Sara taking a seat in front of her

Rebecca just remained quiet and crossed her arms "What do you want?"

Sara cleared her throat. She was nervous, damn it. She thought she could handle this just fine, she already had back there in the warehouse in DC and she even had a gun pointed at her head. So why was she so nervous when the circumstances where now all on her favor? Maybe because she now knew who this woman was and how much she had hurt Neal… "Not an orange suit? I thought that was standard for prison. Gray really is not your color…" she said trying to ease some of the tension she felt

Rebecca remained stoned-faced just looking straight at Sara

"Okay… someone's not in the mood for chitchat…" muttered Sara

"Oh, did I have to bring tea?" asked Rebecca pursing her lips and mock-frowning "You know, Sara, I'm really not in the mood for you. Whatever you want from me, you're not gonna get it"

Sara thought for a second and frowned. She knew it wasn't gonna be easy and she had thought of a way to get information out of Rebecca on her way here so it was show time. "Hmm see, and here I thought we had bonded over our mutual love-hate for Neal back in DC"

Rebecca smirked "Honey, you love him. I just hate him"

Sara laughed at that "Yeah right… C'mon Rebecca, that's just bullshit" she said and rearranged her hair behind her ear before leaning closer "For your information, I did love him. Did, as in past tense. Now I just loath the son of a bitch" she muttered for emphasis

Rebecca frowned "Do you think I'm going to believe that?" she chuckled "Seriously, why are you here?"

"Because I want revenge and I need your help for that" said Sara with a wicked smile

Rebecca raised a surprised eyebrow "Did he break your little dumb heart?"

"Yeah well… I don't wanna talk about it" said Sara, clearing her throat and looking down feigning embarrassment "What I want is to get back at him and I know exactly how"

"You know, it's boring around here so, go on, amuse me. I'm listening…" said Rebecca, leaning back in her chair

"I'm gonna go straight to the point" said Sara and readjusted on her chair "The bastard stole a painting a long time ago and it has resurfaced. It is insured by Sterling Bosch and I'm gonna get 10% commission if I get it back" she said and took a picture of the Rembrandt out of her purse "This is the painting, it is worth 500 million so 10% is a lot of money"

At that, Rebecca changed her expression from bored to totally interested. She now had a little smirk "You have a nice job, Sara. No wonder why Neal got so interested in you"

"Yeah well, don't get me started. He had me buying him art stuff and expensive suits all the time…" said Sara sighing and seeing how Rebecca was smiling and truly enjoying this, she thought she could push a little further for sympathy "Did he ever show you his collection of cufflinks? That's probably, half of it bought by me. God, I'm stupid, aren't I?"

Rebecca laughed wholeheartedly "First time I agree with you"

Sara smiled too "Well… so I want to get him with this, it's the perfect opportunity to nail his ass to the wall and finally get him for good in jail"

Rebecca frowned "Neal was supposed to be reformed…" she then sighed wistfully "he was willing to give up the life to settle with me, you know?"

Sara tightened her jaw. Rebecca could be lying but then again, Neal did care about her… "Oh that's what he always says" she retorted nonchalantly "Believe me, I know because it was exactly what he told me right before he ran to Cape Verde"

Rebecca's face changed and a tiny look of hurt clouded her eyes

"Don't feel bad. He's a conman, it's what he does… I'm sure you know about it better than anyone" said Sara gaining some leverage again on this situation. She could see how Rebecca was being affected by this so she kept digging "and don't tell me Neal was your first victim. You probably fooled a lot of men before, right?"

"That is none of your business" was Rebecca's simple answer

Sara thought she had had enough. She wanted to be on Rebecca's sympathy side and if she pushed more, she was about to get on her bad side again "I'm sorry… I'm just really pissed off at him and no matter how much I used to love him, I want to make him pay what he did to me" she said and paused for dramatic effect "You can get back at him too… if you help me"

Rebecca frowned "You know, Sara, you're more of a bitch than I am… What makes you think I want to hurt him on purpose?"

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Rebecca frowned "You know, Sara, you're more of a bitch than I am… What makes you think I want to hurt him on purpose?"

Sara froze. She did not see that one coming. So, looks like Rachel Turner did have a heart after all. Sara almost felt bad for her but she knew she had to continue with her little charade if she wanted to actually help Neal.

"Oh, so lying, stalking, killing and pretty much being all psycho around Neal was not on purpose? I'm sorry, I must've gotten all my facts wrong" said Sara playing her sarcastic bitchy-self

Rebecca just pursed her lips and crossed her arms

Sara crossed her legs and entangled her fingers elegantly on her lap waiting for her to say something. When Rebecca didn't even flinch, Sara just sighed "Anyway, I thought you would be a little less useless but I was wrong, so I should just go"

Sara stood up and grabbed her purse determined to leave but stopped when she heard Rebecca clapping. The hollow sound of hands colliding together slowly and rhythmically was accompanied by an evil smirk on the woman's face.

"Nice acting, Sara, are you sure you majored in Economics instead of Drama?" asked Rebecca standing up as well "Good luck helping Neal in whatever mess he got himself into this time, I hope you get to live happily ever after" she said sarcastically and then started walking towards the door "Guard, I'm done here"

Sara panicked. So apparently she hadn't fooled Rebecca at all "Wait!" she got back to the thick glass and put a hand there as if the gesture helped to deliver the message better "Rebecca, please…"

Rebecca returned and smirked at Sara's desperate face "Well… are you begging now? Please what?"

Sara cleared her throat "Fine, I can't obviously fool you. You're the expert here… I just… I need information that I know you have. Neal needs it"

"Neal needs… it? Or needs, me?" said Rebecca grinning truly enjoying this

Sara glared at her "Yes, he needs you" she muttered

That just made Rebecca laugh "Well, you just made my day with that statement. Thank you!" she said straightening her shoulders proudly and gloating in the moment "Too bad I'm not gonna help you… or him. Good bye, Sara" said Rebecca and started walking back to her cell happily and almost with a bounce in her step

"Look who's the bitch now" said Sara making Rebecca turn around again "If you ever even loved him like you said, you should be able to at least do one good thing in your life. I mean, after all, you will spend your whole life rotting in prison, so unless you plan on praying and massaging the guard's scalp every night, you're running out of opportunities to redeem yourself"

"Watch it, Sara, even in prison I can make your life miserable" threatened Rebecca

"Fine, you can get back at me any time. But you can also protect Neal and actually prove him how much he missed by not choosing you…" said Sara swallowing her pride "The truth is, Rebecca, as much as it pisses me off to admit it, Neal did care about you. You gave him hope of a better life, you made him see himself as a good man and not just a criminal" said Sara getting all worked-up and emotional remembering everything Neal had confessed to her "And he… actually he still cares about you" she said and had to sniff a little trying to hold back tears of anger, frustration… "Hell, he's probably the only person in the planet who doesn't think you're a heartless bitch!" she finally let out and tried to regain her breathing back to normal "Now you have the chance to prove him right, Rebecca"

Rebecca was actually fighting really hard not to cry right there. Her eyes hurt from the tears that wanted to come out in the way of those that build in the form of acid distilled from heartache "In case you didn't notice, I'm rotting in prison as you eloquently put it. So what's in it for me? You get to live happily with him and what about me?!"

"You get to live with a cleaner conscience and who knows, even Neal may forgive you someday…" said Sara quietly and with a small sympathetic smile

Rebecca stood up "Yeah well, too late for that. Go to hell, Sara" and with that, she just walked to the door and back to her cell

Back in Neal's apartment…

It had been 2 hours since Sara left with Mozzie to see Rebecca and Neal was starting to get desperate feeling caged and anxiously throwing darts over and over; little habit that got stuck with him since his rendez-vous with his father. He had mastered the way of the darts but he certainly wasn't an expert in any other form of combat that didn't involve fencing with a French grip sword. If he managed to get out of this mess with the Rembrandt and his sentence was dropped, he was determined to get some training on that department. So he decided to calm his nerves by doing some research on fighting academies in NY and when he was about to give up, he found one that called his attention. It was located in Soho by the name of "Invincible Peacock Self-defense Academy" and it made him laugh hard at the ridiculous name but it also brought back a memory that he had long-gone forgotten about…

**Flashback…**

_"I'm here for Danny Brooks"_

_"Richard!" said eleven-year old Danny Brooks, who apparently was having a very bad and painful day. He had a bleeding lip, purple eye and sort of a limp when he walked_

_"Hey there buddy, what happened to you?" said the taller man_

_Danny just shrugged "I had a little misunderstanding"_

_Richard laughed "Right. Let's get you home and cleaned up"_

_They were quiet all the way home and nor did Ellen or his mom were home yet so Danny went straight for the fridge and got out some grape juice. He drank the whole glass in one sip wincing a little from the pain it caused when the sugary liquid touched his open wound in his mouth_

_"Come here" said Richard and lifted him up in the counter_

_"Hey, I'm not a baby anymore, don't carry me like that!" he protested_

_"Yeah, I can see that you're a man now. You just had your first fight. Congratulations, man!" said Richard with a big smile and punching Danny playfully in the arm_

_Danny couldn't help but laugh "Well, thanks. But it was more of a beating than a fight…" he said muttering embarrassed_

_Richard smiled imagining all too well how things had happened "So, who started it?"_

_"I did…"_

_"Was he bigger than you?"_

_"Yeah, 9th grade"_

_"Woah… now what on earth made you get so upset as to stupidly pick a fight with a 9th grader?" asked Richard apparently amused by this_

_"He was making Sophie cry" said Danny still looking down at his hands_

_Richard started cleaning Danny's wounds while they talked "And Sophie is…?"_

_"Just a girl…" the pre-teen said shrugging nonchalantly_

_"Oh, sounds like you have a crush on her" said Richard teasing a little bit "But wait, didn't you already have a girlfriend?"_

_"Yeah but it was just a fling, it ended last month" answered Danny very seriously_

_It took all in Richard's power and self-control CIA training not to burst-out laughing when hearing an eleven-year old saying that he had a fling. But he managed to remain serious and just nodded "So a fling, huh?"_

_"Yeah, remember that girl in second grade, Britney Nicole, the one who made fun of the gap in my teeth?" said Danny looking up_

_Richard thought about it for a minute "I think I do…"_

_"Well, she now happened to be totally head over heels over me so I gave her a chance but of course it was doomed to fail, so it was just a fling" he explained casually_

_"Of course…" This was too much for Richard and he had to cough to disguise his laughter "So, this new girl that you picked a fight for, who's she?"_

_"Um, she's in 9th grade… She has the most beautiful green eyes and she loves art, she does ballet and she also paints! We were discussing how much she likes the impressionists and how she went to the MET in New York last summer with her parents… God, I'd love to go to New York!" explained Danny enthusiastically flapping his arms in his very energetic usual way_

_"So, she's three years older than you and she hangs out with you?" asked Richard surprised at Danny's natural charm with everyone but specially with the ladies. Not only did he seem to be blessed by the Gods with his looks but he also had all the charm in the world to be able to get his way with all the ladies he wanted. Boy, he will be a total Casanova when he grows up, thought Richard._

_"Oh yeah, she says that not a single guy in her class is half as smart and sweet as me" he said grinning proudly_

_Richard chuckled and shook his head. He was right. To all the ladies in the world, beware and behold, Danny Brooks a.k.a secretly known as Neal Bennett, would become a danger in the female world, he thought. "So what happened with this bully you fought with?" asked Richard almost done with the wound cleaning_

_"I was going out to gym class and I saw them arguing and Sophie was crying and all of her stuff was scattered on the floor and this guy, Tom, was yelling at her so I went and asked him to stop making her cry and… well, he started pushing me and I just couldn't fight him back" he said ashamed and almost on the verge of tears "It was so embarrassing, Richard! You have to teach me to fight please!"_

_Richard grabbed the boy by the shoulders "Hey, calm down buddy. How did you manage to stop him from killing you?"_

_"Well, I told him he had his zipper down, which of course wasn't true, but it gave me time to kick him in the groin and I just grabbed Sophie's hand and ran for the principal's office" he said biting his nails nervously_

_Richard had to finally laugh at this "Well, you are a smart kid. Looks like you don't need to learn how to fight, you managed just fine to me"_

_Danny glared "This isn't funny, Richard. You do know that I'm going to be dead by the end of the week, right?"_

_Richard smiled and helped him off the kitchen counter "This bully got expelled for a week and he will be doing social service for two months so that means he won't bug you until summer and by the time next school year begins, he will be a freshman in high-school and he won't be anywhere near you"_

_Danny sighed "You're probably right but what about Sophie? She must think I'm a coward…" he said all sad and blue_

_"I don't think so. You stood up for her and you managed to get Tom expelled so if she's as smart as you say, she will be grateful" explained Richard_

_"Shut up… so you won't teach me combat, then?" asked Danny hopeful_

_"Nope… I'm gonna teach you something better" he said getting closer to him at eye level and then he grabbed him by the shoulders and whispered "I'm gonna teach you to be a peacock"_

_"What?!" asked Danny not understanding at all "Richard, I wanna be a tiger not a stupid colorful bird!"_

_"What are you talking about! The male peacock is one of the most beautiful yet powerful creatures out there!" explained Richard excited_

_Danny just glared at him with a bored expression_

_"Alright… Do you see other 6th graders like you hanging around 9th grade girls?" asked Richard pulling Danny into a seating position at the porch_

_"No…" he answered "So what?"_

_"That's because you already are a peacock" said Richard putting an arm around Danny's shoulders "You see, Peacocks are smart and know exactly when and how to look powerful and amazing. When they see a female, they open up their feathers to impress them and they get into very serious fights over them. But the most important thing is that, when they open-up their feathers, they can even chase away the most dangerous of creatures because it creates a distraction and it is uncommon so it makes their enemies confused and scared. Everyone is scared of the unknown"_

_Danny seemed to be analyzing this… "So telling Tom that his fly was open was like me opening-up my feathers to distract him?" he asked a little confused_

_"Exactly, you don't need to use your fists to fight; you will always have leverage even on the biggest of opponents because you have something better than muscles. You have brains and charm" said Richard with a smile_

_"But I do want muscles" said Danny stubbornly_

_Richard laughed "Those I'm sure you will have; mother Nature made your feathers very beautiful too, so I'm sure that won't be a problem" he said ruffling his hair_

**End of flashback…**

Neal was grinning from remembering that little episode in his early teen years; he realized that he owed to Richard almost everything he was now. He got pulled out from his happy memory by Mozzie and Sara's loud arguing while climbing the stairs to his loft

"Houston, we have a problem" said Mozzie barging in through the door "Your ex won't cooperate"

Neal glared at Mozzie's choosing of words "What happened? Sara, you okay?" he said walking to her

Sara sighed and looked at him sadly "Neal, I'm sorry, I tried everything I could but she just…" she couldn't find the words

Neal went and held her hands "Hey, hey, it's ok. I'm sorry I put you through that"

"I saw it in her eyes, Neal, she cares about you and I know she would help but maybe me going there was not the brightest idea. Maybe if Peter goes?" said Sara more emotional than she intended. Truth was, she felt pity for Rebecca and she understood exactly how it felt being lonely and yearning to love and be loved. She wanted her to redeem herself somehow.

Neal smiled seeing how Sara was trying to justify Rebecca despite all that had happened "I appreciate you being all ya-ya sisterhood but she doesn't deserve your kindness, Sara" he said gently cupping her face with his hands "Thank you, Repo" he added quietly

A knock in the door interrupted their little moment and saved Mozzie from being dragged into it awkwardly "Yes?"

"A messenger brought this" said one of June's maids delivering a small envelope with the name 'Neal' scribed on it

Neal opened it and read. He smiled slightly and handed it to Sara "looks like your speech worked, ya-ya sister"

Sara took the note and read:

_Blame the hormones or whatever that Insurance Barbie said but I'm in. Clue #1: your little problem might be a result of a bad hangover provoked by your mom's family old business. Start looking there and next time, do your own dirty work, Neal. I'll only talk to you. **- R**_

**TBC**


	12. Chapter 12

**Previously...**

"A messenger brought this" said one of June's maids delivering a small envelope with the name 'Neal' scribed on it

Neal opened it and read. He smiled slightly and handed it to Sara "looks like your speech worked, ya-ya sister"

Sara took the note and read:

_Blame the hormones or whatever that Insurance Barbie said but I'm in. Clue #1: your little problem might be a result of a bad hangover provoked by your mom's family old business. Start looking there and next time, do your own dirty work, Neal. I'll only talk to you. **- R**_

* * *

**Chapter 12**

"What does this mean?" asked Sara puzzled by all of this "How is your mother involved?"

Neal started biting his lip deep in thought. He knew very little about his mom's family. Growing in Witsec made you very much isolated from all kinds of family roots. The only thing he knew was that the Caffreys had migrated from Ireland two generations ago and that probably they still had family there.

"I have no idea… I, um, don't know much about my mom's family" said Neal feeling a little embarrassed "All I know is that they migrated from Ireland but my mom didn't keep in touch with them"

"Ireland? Hangover and family business?" asked Mozzie trying to put the pieces together "Is your mom the owner of Guinness beer or something?"

Neal chuckled "Of course not, Moz. I think I would know or at least I'd be enjoying some of its juicy profits by now, don't you think?"

Sara sat down for a minute listening to them while she tried to piece the puzzle herself. She then interrupted by saying "The lab report said that the forgery had been painted with some rare oil stuff that was mixed with some herbs that helped deepen the texture and richness of color. And these oil paints apparently belonged to an old technique found in southern Ireland"

They all turned to look at Neal and he just shrugged "I had no idea! I remember my mom gave me some art stuff for my birthday once and they looked very old and had no brand whatsoever, which I thought was odd but didn't pay much attention then. They were good in quality and the brush easily slid on the canvas so I used them but she never told me where they came from" he said

"And did you happen to use them for any Rembrandts?" asked Sara slowly and fearing the worst

"Um… I think so, yeah" said Neal a little hesitant

"Neal…" started Sara with a voice that was meant to sound very comforting but instead it came out menacing as hell "If the FBI makes the connection, you will probably be the prime suspect immediately"

Neal just gulped "But even if I painted that, I never made profit for it!"

"It doesn't matter, there's no way of proving that" she said sighing

Neal started pacing back and forth and running his hands on his hair "I should talk to my lawyer"

"Are you crazy?!" protested Mozzie, feeling that idea as the worst ever "Who did you give this painting to?"

Neal frowned trying to remember "I don't know… all my work was kept in my home's basement and when I ran away, I just never thought of taking any of it"

"And what happened to your home? Is your mom still living there?" asked Sara

Neal looked at her with a pained expression

"You have no idea…" she stated understanding his silent response "And we don't know what Rebecca's mysterious clue means either… ugh" she sighed in frustration

"You know what, let's check up on our good old friend Mr Google" said Mozzie turning up the laptop and writing the name Caffrey on the browser

The results came back with a surprise "Aha!" said the little bald man "Did you know that your family owns one of Ireland's most precious old breweries?" said Mozzie

"What?" said Neal getting closer to the laptop to read himself "I had no idea but it might not even be my bloodline"

"Well, there's also Caffrey's Tavern in New Jersey" said Mozzie shrugging

Neal glared at his friend and got even more desperate

"Oh look at this!" said Mozzie pointing at the screen and reading from it "Thomas Caffrey first established the Ulster Brewery in Queen Street, Belfast in 1897. The brewery was sold to the Ulster Brewing Company in 1950. The last member of the family to have been active in the business, Nicholas James Caffrey, died in 1989, survived by two daughters and one son, Nicholas James Caffrey II" he finished reading and looked at Neal "One of those two daughters could have been your mom… Do you happen to remember an uncle by that name?"

Neal sighed and shook his head in denial. For the first time he was speechless, clueless… "I need to find Richard… or talk to Rebecca again for more clues"

"No Neal, you can't keep playing her game" said Sara with determination

"I know but I can't think of any other way of getting in touch with Richard or finding out more about this damn painting. It's not like I can go visit my old home in St Louis…" said Neal analyzing his possibilities

"How about contacting your mom?" suggested Sara

Neal looked at her with an even more pained expression "I don't know how to contact her. She's still in Witsec for all I know so she's probably living under the radar"

"You could use FBI resources…" suggested Mozzie. Sara and Neal, both looked at him as if he had grown a second head "What?! It's reasonable"

"Reasonable, yes. Coming from you? No" said Sara

"We can't get Peter involved" said Neal ruling out the possibility immediately

"Maybe you don't have to get him involved… just his computer and passwords" suggested Sara innocently

Neal grinned "You're so sexy right now" he said feeling absolutely excited at seeing this perky, naughty side of Sara

"Ugh, please… Control yourselves" said Mozzie wriggling his nose "But I have to admit that it could work. The suit has his mind set on DC and probably his guard down too. I mean, he would probably even share his password willingly"

Neal puffed air through his nose "Yeah right…"

"I could distract him…" said Sara nonchalantly

"Stop it before he wants to jump your bones right here, right now" said Mozzie mock-annoyed seeing how much Sara was the perfect Bonnie to Neal's Clyde

Although Neal kept on grinning he had learned his lesson "Sara, I think you've done enough, I don't want you getting dirty in all this"

"Oh please, I've conned Peter more times than I care to admit" she said not really thinking. She saw the looks of surprise in the men's faces and cleared her throat "I mean, the way I look at it, I'd be helping my teen boyfriend sneak around his daddy's overprotective nature" she added smirking

"Oh so I'm your boyfriend now?" said Neal walking dangerously towards her

"That term is so overrated… and I said teen boyfriend, you're not a teen… at all" she said looking him up and down with a seductive glare

"For the love of Jane Austen, get a room!" said Mozzie and stood up annoyed "I know when I'm no longer wanted in a place. I'm outta here"

The other two just kept on grinning mischievously at each other, not really paying attention to Mozzie.

"You know, as much as I enjoy the teasing, I can't promise to behave myself if you keep this up" said Neal getting very close to Sara

Sara giggled. She actually giggled, like a teen herself "I have to go" she said heading for the door

"Hell no, you're not leaving like that" said Neal and before she had time to protest, he grabbed her arm and crashed her lips with his in a very passionate kiss. After a few minutes of intense kissing, they had to come up for air "Please stay with me tonight" he whispered close to her ear

Sara grinned and gave him a peck on the lips "We'll see" she said with a hand on his face, before leaving the apartment

Neal hollered trying to stall her "Wait! We have to plan our little con to Peter!"

"Yeah we do!" Sara hollered back barely containing her laughter but not turning back "Later, Neal!"

**In the meantime…**

Peter was answering some e-mails before heading home to have a very nice dinner with Elizabeth and to keep on going through dog-sitters in DC for Satchmo, when he received a very cryptic e-mail in his inbox…

_The art is only evidence of someone's creative nature and nothing else. He's innocent. You have to protect him. Stop digging. - R_

Peter was absolutely dumbfounded. He didn't understand. Who's innocent? The only name that popped in his mind regarding this message was Neal's. He memorized the email and deleted permanently from the server. He took his jacket and headed home

"Neal, what did you do?" he said to himself sighing while cruising through the traffic of New York City

* * *

_**Please let me know what you think. Even if it is to trash it, I love hearing from you :)**_


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Suffices to say that it was a long restless night for Neal; he kept on tossing around the bed getting flashes from his past, his childhood, his mom, Richard, Ellen… for the first time since he ran away from home, he was being obligated to remember and it all made him feel so lost.

Neal Caffrey was a man of many talents, smooth, resourceful, careless and free of remorse or guilt. Danny Brooks, on the other hand, was a name that held so many flaws and fears, but it also held so much passion for the world, so much fascination for the little things, so many dreams…

Neal sighed and gave up trying to sleep. He stood up and went to pour himself some wine. Yeah, it was 2 am in the morning but what the hell, he didn't have to be early to work or anything… Peter wouldn't even care anymore if he showed up to work or not.

He walked out in the balcony, the chilly breeze of the early spring putting his senses on full alert… this city that he had dreamed of so much as a kid, was now his playground and a place where he had found a home again. Of course, Peter and Elizabeth were leaving him and even if he did a great job at hiding it, he was deeply hurt by the loss. First Sara and now them… He now understood how his mother must've felt when he abandoned her just like that, without saying goodbye.

The oh-so-self-sufficient conman realized he needed these people in his life and after everything that happened with Rebecca, it just confirmed how much he was done running away, not just from the FBI, but also from himself. He had to face his fears and take a deep dive into his own darkness in order to find the light again and somehow reconcile with his true self.

All these clues and information on the Caffreys and all these memories of Richard seemed to Neal, like a movie that he saw a long time ago, not as his own life. As much as he tried to remember or build the story again in his brain, it just wouldn't cooperate. It was as if by changing his name to Neal Caffrey, the memories of Danny Brooks were buried deep into a locked safe that not even he could open. If only Ellen was still alive, she would surely help him remember… "That's it!" he suddenly remembered that he still had that box that the Marshalls had given him when she died. He immediately went inside his apartment and right in the depths of his closet, he found it.

In the midst of his quest to get the damn evidence box, he didn't pay attention to the contents of this box. Inside, there were many personal documents that belonged to Ellen, proprietary contracts of her house and car, as well as medical insurance and so on. He kept digging and found an old leather notebook that seemed like a diary but when he opened it up, he found inside many pictures and drawings, random writing that resembled poetry, ramblings about the weather and about the beach. There was one picture that caught his eye and made him stop breathing: it was Richard on the beach looking very happy, squinting up at the sun, in a bathing suit and… hugging his mom, in a red dotted bikini, looking beautiful, very happy and also with an arm around Richard's waist.

"What the hell?" he didn't understand. Richard was one of the many Marshalls that took care of them during Witsec but he wasn't supposed to interact with them, let alone go to the beach with them. Besides, Richard had been sent abroad on a different subject back in 1996 and this picture looked more recent. Neal looked at the picture more carefully, analyzing every aspect of it trying to see if there were any more clues as to when or where this was taken. He turned it around and sure enough, there it was some scribing in the back…

_The sun is starting to shine again. You were right, my friend. I can still smile. Thanks for convincing me to take a leap. Any news of Neal? Love, Melissa. – Barcelona, June 1999._

Neal was even more confused now. The year 1999 was only one year after he left home and by that time Richard had been gone for 3 years and they looked cozy… since when did they grew together like this? Did Ellen know about it? Or even better, looked like Ellen was the one who pushed his mom to be with Richard or whatever she meant by that the 'thanks for convincing me to take a leap'. Neal threw the picture on the table, this was too much. Of course his mom had a right to rebuild her life after her husband was thrown in jail but with Richard? Since when? Why didn't he ever notice? Richard never told him anything about it. Why? He always saw Richard as some sort of a father figure but maybe his kindness and interest in Neal had been all a façade to hide the fact that he was fooling around with his mom. Neal felt anger boiling inside him and for a moment he hated Richard so much, he felt betrayed and, even though his rational self knew that they were adults and that his parents were divorced at the time, Neal couldn't help but think that there was a very good chance that, while his mom told him all these great stories of his dad being a hero as a police man, she was bedding the Marshall who took care of them. He sighed in frustration imagining a million possibilities and trying to piece together all the memories he had to see if they made any sense. All the times he saw Richard in the back waving and smiling at him while he blew his birthday candles or how Richard always seemed to be just there, anytime they needed him as if he was magically popping up all the time even if he wasn't supposed to…

Neal dug deeper into the notebook searching for more clues about this but there was nothing that made sense into it. He did find a storage unit key with an address in New Jersey. He grabbed the notebook and the key and left his apartment after putting on some jeans and a sweater.

Without even thinking, too overwhelmed with the recent findings, he found himself at the entrance of the Warwick hotel. He needed to talk to someone about this and most of all, he didn't want to be alone anymore in his house, restless and letting his imagination run wild with crazy damaging thoughts. He couldn't think of anyone better than Sara to keep him sane.

He snuck inside the hotel without being noticed and went up to her room. It was 3 am so he thought it would be better to just let himself in, hoping that Sara didn't keep a gun under her pillow this time. He couldn't help but smile at the memory of the Halbridge case where they had rekindled. It seemed so long ago…

He was inside and she didn't even stir in her sleep. He walked closer to her bed and stood there for a moment just looking at her. There was a faint light coming from the window and it gave a bluish glow to her face, almost angelic. He realized how much he had missed looking at her like this at night, peacefully sleeping, looking perfect as if sculpted by the finest marble there could ever be.

He had come here to talk but looking at her sleeping form, he didn't have the heart to wake her. Neal wished he could just get in bed with her, cuddle with her and join her into blissful sleep but he knew it could never happen without waking her up. So he took his shoes off and tried his best to just lie there as close to her as he could in the king-sized bed, careful to not disturb her. "She must be really tired" he thought. Sara was usually a very light sleeper but somehow he managed to lie down without waking her up. He stayed there for a moment, still, looking up at the ceiling realizing how much better he felt just by being here, not alone. He sighed in contentment and put an arm below his head and turned to give one last look at Sara. With a smile on his face, he closed his eyes and fell asleep immediately.

6 am sharp, a very annoying sound interrupted their peaceful sleep. Neal groaned and Sara turned to her nightstand to set it off. When she went back to her place in the bed, squinting at the first rays of sun shying from the window, she saw him "Neal?! What the hell are you doing here? How did you get in?"

Neal just groaned feeling the beginning of a headache "Please go back to sleep" he mumbled trying to get closer to her and to hold her

"What? No! Neal why are you here?" she said trying to push him away but not really resisting his hug

"Too early" he mumbled again sleepily

"I'm going for a run" she deadpanned

Neal opened one very blue eye and with a smirk he said "If you wanna work out, I can think of better ways to do so"

Despite the fact that Sara thought he looked cute as a puppy, all sleepy and very blue-eyed, she rolled her eyes "Of course but you see, there are creeps who get inside my room in the middle of the night and I don't even know why, so there's hardly a chance for me to be doing THAT kind of work out if I don't get some answers first"

At that, Neal groaned and rolled on his back covering his eyes with his arms "You're no fun" he mumbled

"Yeah and you're playing dumb, Caffrey. Spill it" she said propped up on her arm looking at him expectantly

After a little while, without uncovering his eyes Neal said softly "I didn't wanna be alone"

Sara frowned; she wasn't expecting a direct answer. This is Neal Caffrey after all, master of dodging questions "What happened?"

Neal didn't speak. Instead, he reached to his side of the bed for the nightstand and just handed over the picture he found last night

Sara took the picture and looked carefully. Neal's mom was beautiful and they looked like the happiest couple… she turned it around and read the inscription. Sara didn't quite understand "Are these your parents? She has your nose and…"

She was cut short by Neal, "That's Richard… and my mom" he said quietly "They sent it to Ellen"

"Oh…" was all that Sara could muster

"Yeah… How cool is it, huh? I don't even know my own mother" he said cheerfully but dripping with sarcasm "And Ellen knew and she never told me anything"

Sara's heart went out to him. She didn't know what to say "Neal, I'm sure there's an explanation for this and I mean, they do look happy. That's gotta count for something, right?" she tried in a comforting tone

Neal finally looked at her and his eyes were a darker shade of blue "Now I understand. How was I not supposed to become a conman if my whole fucking life was built on lies, right?!" he said with pure fire and hurt in his eyes

He sat up in the bed and lowered his head grasping tightly the bed sheets with his hands, breathing hard, trying to control the rage he was feeling inside all over again

"Hey…" said Sara softly caressing his back. She reached out for him and threw her arms around his chest, hugging him tightly and resting her head on his strong back trying to soothe him "This isn't your fault and I'm sure they had their reasons, they loved you, Neal…"

Neal just kept breathing hard but he put his hand on top of Sara's, which was resting on his chest "Everyone lied to me. My parents, Ellen, Kate, Rebecca… even Peter. I don't know what or whom to believe in anymore"

"I've never lied to you" she said pulling him back so he could rest his head back on her shoulder and kissed his cheek "I mean, I've called you sociopath and all but it was right into your face" she said smiling

He chuckled and closed his eyes enjoying the comfort of being hugged and literally supported by someone else and not himself "Are you sure you don't have a secret identity?" he said with eyes still closed

"Mmm…" she feigned thinking hard "Nope. It's just me" she said stroking his hair softly "I've had several hair colors though. Does that count?"

Neal laughed this time "Please don't ever dye it black ok?" he said turning slightly to look at her

She smiled "Oh I thought you liked brunettes?"

He looked at her fully turning his head around on her shoulder this time "I just like you"

Sara's breath was caught in her lungs. For a moment she thought she would pass out from the lack of oxygen. The intensity of Neal's eyes on her and the simplicity of his words were just a bomb. It was the fake proposal at the Empire State all over again and it brought back all the feelings she had at that moment. Feelings of completeness and desire to build a future with this man, to rewrite a story together, their messed up lives colliding into one blank page full of possibilities. Whoa, hold it there, she thought.

He reached up to caress her face and put a strand of hair behind her ear "Sara, I told you before, I don't want anything except you. That's the only thing I believe in right now. You are the only one I believe in"

She was speechless and she just hugged him tighter to her chest resting her cheek on his forehead and stroking his arms softly as if making sure he was real and this moment was real

"Sara" he whispered tickling her neck "I need you to believe in me too. In us" he said grabbing her face with his hand and placing a couple of butterfly kisses on the base of her neck

She pulled back allowing him to turn around and face her. When did the tears come out? She thought. But she had a smile on her face too

He reached out and cleaned them with his thumbs "I know we both have issues of trust and we are both afraid of letting go but I just…" he had a hard time putting the words together but somehow he was feeling very clear-headed "I know we're also very afraid of being alone" he took her hands in his "and I know that if I ever take the leap, it's gonna be with you"

He smiled at her and put both her hands inside his as if trying to protect her "So what do you say, Repo. Do you trust me?"

Sara had no words in herself at this moment. She was the one supposed to be comforting him in this rough moment in his life and yet, he was the one saying all the right things to comfort her and in the way, heal wounds she didn't want to address by herself. All she could do was just nod and smile and she was certain that she looked very far from pretty trying to not cry and smile at the same time but she hoped Neal understood what she couldn't say with words.

He understood and smiled "Yeah?" he asked to confirm, full of hope and new energy to fight. He reached to her to kiss her gently on the lips "Thank you" he whispered afterwards

"I don't wanna go out for a run anymore" she said and pulled him to her making him fall down on top of her

Neal laughed wholeheartedly and he felt as if a magic balm had soothed his aching muscles, inside and out, the most important one being his heart.

They finally made love after so long. Their bodies just recognized each other as if no time had passed. His fingers roamed her body expertly arising all kinds of sensations at the right moments. It was as if he had been expertly painting a landscape and applying the right amounts of light and shadows to fire-up the beauty of it, bringing it out to life. Sara certainly felt alive again. Making love to Neal had always been fun and passionate, he was definitely talented in that department, always patient, caring, tender and forceful whenever it was needed; always capable of guessing her needs and setting up just the right pace to make it perfect. But this time, she felt different, it was as if all those things had been enhanced and nothing held her back

"Fall with me" he said in between elaborate breathing

And that's exactly what she did. She didn't feel afraid anymore. She was not only reaching a climax of ecstasy, she was reaching a whole new level of abandon and freedom of mind, body and soul. It all made it powerful and heightened. Lovemaking would never be the same if it wasn't with Neal and at this moment, Sara realized that she didn't wanna find out anymore. This is where she wanted to be. She wanted to fall with Neal. Ironically, she didn't feel like falling but instead, she felt lighter, like flying. She wasn't afraid anymore. Not with Neal.

* * *

**A few notes: On the last chapter, the whole Caffrey beer storyline is not a product of my imagination, it seems to be true (at least that's what Wikipedia says). In this chapter, Neal's mom is named Melissa, don't know why she's always had that name in my head but as far as I know it has never been revealed in the show, if any of you know otherwise, please do tell. **

**Thank so much for your reviews and follows. It make me smile a lot so please don't hesitate on dropping a line, even if it's just to tell me to hurry my ass up and keep writing ;)**


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